PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - AA MD-80 drops engine parts on NYC
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Old 16th Mar 2009, 13:15
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Orestes
 
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"Contained" vs. "Uncontained"

Just for the record, a "contained" engine failure is simply one in which high velocity engine fragments are prevented from piercing the engine casings and radially exiting the sides of the engine, doing shrapnel-like damage to the rest of the plane, passengers, and anything else unlucky enough to be alongside the failing engine (as in News Shooters example of the Pensacola MD-88 engine failure). There's nothing preventing engine fragments from tumbling out the nozzle (or even the inlet) after the failed engine spools down.
Even though pieces of this engine rained down on the neighborhood below, this engine failure could very well be officially considered a "contained" failure if no high velocity pieces penetrated through the sides of the engine.
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