CFE738: Borescope Inspection of the Centrifugal Compressor Impeller

December 2013

General Electric recently issued Service Bulletin (SB) CFE738-72-8074 calling for the borescope inspection of the centrifugal compressor impellers (P/N 6079T77P07) in the CFE738-1 engine installed on the Falcon 2000 aircraft. Refer to the SB for applicable serial numbers.

Due to a change in the manufacturing process of the engine’s centrifugal compressor impeller vane thickness, there have been some unscheduled engine removals due to higher than expected stress on the centrifugal compressor impeller splitter vanes. Some operators have reported surge events while at cruise altitude, while others have discovered damage during a borescope inspection. In some cases, the damage had missing material with secondary damage at diffuser case vanes, deswirl vanes and fuel injectors located downstream of the centrifugal compressor impeller.

If you have the centrifugal compressor impeller (P/N 6079T77P07) with a designated serial number, accomplish the initial borescope inspection at the next airframe A inspection (400), next 1,600-hour engine borescope inspection or the next Zone 2 inspection, whichever occurs first. A borescope inspection is required every 400 hours thereafter until the affected centrifugal compressor impellers are replaced with a non-affected centrifugal compressor impellers or SB CFE738-3076 is accomplished. Boroscope inspections can be accomplished at the Line level.