Oil Servicing Issues on Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545 Series Engines

FAA Aviation Safety SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Oil Servicing Issues on Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545 Series Engines SAIB: 2024-06 Date: 11/18/2024 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin is to raise awareness of oil servicing issues leading to alert warnings and in-flight shutdowns on Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW545 series engines and provides recommendations for performing optimal oil servicing practices.

At this time, the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Background

After receiving reports of engine in-flight shutdowns and flight deck alert warnings due to low oil pressure (LOP) indications, a P&WC investigation discovered that those shutdowns and warnings were the result of under-servicing the oil system.

Servicing the oil system to levels that are below the MIN level (too low) may result in lowering the acceptable oil quantity during operation which will reduce the required oil supply to the main engine oil pump. Insufficient oil supply will lead to pressure fluctuations or LOP indication and possible engine damage.

Servicing the oil system to levels that are above the MAX level (too high) may impede the proper operation of the air/oil separator, resulting in possible carbon seal distress and subsequent loss of oil from the oil system through the engine breather tube leading to pressure fluctuations and an eventual LOP indication.

Recommendations

The FAA recommends owners, operators, and maintainers:

1. Follow the oil servicing guidance provided in P&WC Service Information Letter PW500-065, dated May 19, 2016. Although issued several years ago, this Service Information Letter still assists operators in applying optimal oil servicing practices as part of their maintenance activities. 2. Always service and maintain the engine oil level between MIN and MAX as shown on the Oil Level Indicator.

For Further Information Contact

Barbara Caufield, Aerospace Engineer, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803, phone: (781) 238-7146; email: [email protected].

For Related Service Information Contact

For further information regarding the P&WC service information, contact your local P&WC Field Service Manager; the P&WC Customer First (CFirst) Centre, phone: (800) 268-8000 or email: [email protected]; or Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp., 1000 Marie-Victorin, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, J4G 1A1; phone: (800) 268-8000; website: www.pwc.ca.