DALLAS — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new airworthiness directive (AD) addressing a safety concern with certain Boeing 757 aircraft. The directive, which becomes effective February 14, 2025, was prompted by multiple reports of power transfer unit (PTU) control valve failures.

The directive requires airlines to install new relays and modify wire bundles connected to the PTU control valve. This safety measure affects approximately 467 U.S.-registered aircraft and will cost operators an estimated US$7,085 per airplane, totaling about $3.3 million across the U.S. fleet.

The FAA identified that if left unaddressed, a PTU control valve failure combined with a loss of the left engine or engine-driven pump during takeoff could prevent the landing gear from retracting in a timely manner. This issue could create additional drag, affect the aircraft's climb gradient, and potentially prevent the airplane from clearing obstacles during takeoff.

Airlines will have 30 months or 2,760 flight hours from the effective date to comply with the directive, whichever occurs first. The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 79000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canada, supports these new safety measures.

The directive applies to Boeing 757-200, -200PF, -200CB, and -300 series airplanes. The required modifications include changing the wire bundles from circuit breaker C4054 to the P33 panel, installing new relays in the P33 panel, and modifying the wire bundles leading to the PTU control valve.

Operators seeking additional information can contact Katherine Venegas, FAA Aviation Safety Engineer, or consult Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757-29A0071 RB, dated November 16, 2023.

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