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Posted on 11/26/2010 8:24:34 PM PST by The Magical Mischief Tour
A "leaked" and unconfirmed PDF document first published by Crikey.com purports to show pictures of the damage done to a Qantas A380 on November 4 when it suffered an un-contained engine failure and shed parts over Indonesia. Photos in the document show a failure that sent debris toward the fuselage, gashes in a wing, serious damage to a flight control drive motor, severed wiring, damage to a forward spar and a large fuel pipe that's torn open. (Click through for images.) The document says the forward spar was "penetrated and is damaged extensively." The photos have not been officially confirmed by Airbus or Qantas. Separately, Richard Woodward, vice-president of the Australian and International Pilots Association said of the damage, "the amount of failures is unprecedented." Qantas grounded its six aircraft fleet of Airbus A380's following the accident but announced Tuesday that it is ready to resume some A380 operations after "extensive checks with Airbus and Rolls-Royce." The airline is not ready to restart its longest A380 flights and Rolls-Royce is still busy dealing with complications the events have imposed on its supply chain.
(Excerpt) Read more at avweb.com ...
Lucky the engine didn’t fall off. That can start a plane spinning due to weight imbalance and then you’re probably done.
yep...no surprise that jet engine components that explosively separate at high RPMs do considerable damage to surrounding structures. I think it is a testament to the engineering of the aircraft that the engine stayed attached to the plane at all. Jet engine turbine blades are made of some of the hardest and toughest substances that man has been able to create. Imagine what kind of force one blade exerts when ejected at 20,000 RPMs, plus...
It wasn’t so long ago that this kind of catastrophic failure would have resulted in the downing of the aircraft and the los of everyone onboard, no doubt. The fact that the wing stood up to this level of damage without complete failure is impressive, and certainly reflects a great deal of thoughtful engineering.
Amazing that the plane landed safely, isn’t it?
Does Quantas still have their 100% no crash record?
Airbus didn't make the engine.
That’s no jet crashes.
If it ain’t a Boeing, I ain’t going.
Qantas has never had a fatal accident in the jet era - since 1951 - and that record remains intact. But it's been operating since 1920, and there were a number of fatal accidents between 1920 and 1951 as well as a plane shot down by the Japanese.
And it's a rare Q word with no U - Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service.
Amazing that the plane landed safely, isn’t it?
Yep amazing. I will still never travel in an airbus though
who do you think are the worst insider traders?
Airbus didn’t make the engine
Airbus is lucky the plane didn’t crash. Redundant cable systems failed and the PILOTS were still able to land the huge deathtrap. Redundant systems aren’t much good if they share the same space and are taken out together
Fortunately, there weren't four skin perforations.
“At least the reason for the engine explosion is now clear. Last week, Rolls-Royce identified a defective part in the turbine, which caused an oil leak that led to the fire. Of the superjumbo jets delivered to date, 20 are affected by the problem, including three at Lufthansa. The defective engine part will gradually be replaced.”
“...The defective engine part will gradually be replaced.”
Gradually?!!! Are they kidding?!!!
>Anybody looking into aircraft mechanics named Mohammed?
There were no warnings before the engine exploded — no change in oil pressure, no unusual vibrations, nothing.
Looks like a Moeski to me!!
Qantas Airbus A380 inflight engine failure
http://www.atsb.gov.au/newsroom/news-items/qantas-airbus-a380-singapore.aspx
Update 4.40 pm - 22 November 2010
Engine examination
ATSB investigators examining the engine in Singapore are expected to return to Australia on Wednesday 24 November. The parts of interest from the failed No 2 engine have been removed. This includes the Low Pressure Turbine (Figure 1) module and the Intermediate Turbine module and drive shaft. The Intermediate Pressure components have been photographed and are being shipped to Rolls-Royce in the UK for detailed examination by Rolls-Royce, under the supervision of the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
>> “the amount of failures is unprecedented.”
Actually, no. This is what airline pilots have come to expect of RR engines. Alternative? As they used to say in the old R-2800 days: “More miles per hour with Pratt & Whitney power”.
GE is OK, also.
Yeah, and if the A380 is anything like the 310 or 320, then its a real bitch to work on too! Landing gear has the bird so high off the ground you need a man-lift just to service the damn hydraulics and fuel. I did not think they still used cables... I thought every new aircraft was fly-by-wire and servo-motors?
. . .
Same thing in the Sioux City Iowa accident of a DC-10 in 1989
I worked that disaster while at a meeting in Chicago on aircraft incidents and was flown down to work it through on teh crash team. I worked for UAL then and the experience on that plane was enormous as well. Captain Al Haynes and flight Trainer Denny Fisch (DC10 Trainer) Officer Dudley Dvorak
Here is a link to Cpt. Haynes presentation on that crash.
http://www.clear-prop.org/aviation/haynes.html
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