QFA220 engine problem rumour
 

QF1287 on 04/07 was VH-X4A last flight. Rumours of an engine problem. Any info from the CBR refueller?

Just over a month on line.

Probably a good thing as that’ll enable them to catch up on training their crew.

Paying only A$224K (US$146K) before tax a year for a training captain on a 71 Tonne Jet wouldn’t encourage many applications I’d imagine.

No idea about QF but did see a reference re global engine shortages on 220s somewhere else on the planet.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/VHX4A

Where there is smoke there well may be fire in this case by the look of it.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....95e8cad68.jpeg
Is that the aircraft?

Haven’t they been nursing these engines already?

How do you figure that? -X4A was delivered late last year wasn't it?

https://australianaviation.com.au/20...n-in-canberra/


Looks like just over a month on line to me.

That might have been the first fare-paying flight but -X4A has been flying pretty much five days a week since the start of the year.

It may have however the thread starter said a month on line.

The information I have is the airframe and therefore engine has approx 300 hours on it. If it is an engine failure/removal that’s not very good from new.

If you google ‘A220 engine problems’, you’ll see a list of articles about the engine issues. 300 odd hours is not good enough though.

I believe there have been several sectors cancelled over the last week due to Tech Crew Sickness

We clearly have different understandings of what the phrase "on line" means. Engines and airframes tend to be unable to distinguish between revenue and non-revenue hours.

Project Zero

Amazing GT and the media aren’t on to this. You can clearly see a groundie pumping what I reckon is Tetrazine into the Turbo Encabulator. Typical 220 engine problem.

Wouldn’t have happened if it was flown by SH.

X4A operated a MEL-CBR flight today, so whatever problem existed has been sorted.

The problems with the P&W GTF engines had to do with ones were manufactured from 2016-2020 before the “Block D” upgrade, which has solved most of the issues and presumably is incorporated into all
new build engines:

https://airinsight.com/pratt-whitney...th-gtf-in-may/

Positioning for replacement, it won’t fly for a while now.

Nope, check FR24, it just got airborne 5 minutes ago out of CBR on the return revenue service back to MEL.

Oh dear. That’s concerning following what I was told.

It’s actually been doing RPT sectors all afternoon.

Doesn’t fit your agenda?

Please tell me you're kidding?

Shouldn’t this thread be in the GA section?

Triggered boomer.

If you’re suggesting I’m bashing the operator, you’re well off the mark. My only ‘agenda’, if I must have one, would be to put it out there that P&W have unleashed a power plant that has given a bunch of airlines around the world a real headache. It makes you ponder how an engine that has to be nursed every day was ever certified. If this problem cropped up after several thousand hours of operation, it could be deemed unforeseen, but after 300-400??? Must have been a very special test program.

I have also heard X4A (nicknamed Broccoli Dreaming) needs an engine change due to metal in the oil. Other rumours I've heard is that it was delivered with a wiring fault that triggers the anti skid warning and that X4B was delivered with 7 open MELs and has minor tech faults most days it flies. Dispatch reliability within 15 mins of STD is 96% though. Flights being cancelled due to crew shortages is confirmed. The ability to recruit up to 10 A220 experienced pilots using permanent residency has resulted in ONE successful application, who was so unrecent on the A220 they are required to do a complete type rating again. Now they are trying to recruit experienced (doesn't have to be A220) training captains using those visas.

Not even close, champ ;)

If you would've read the link I posted you would have seen that the P&W GTF issues were more the initial builds that are progressively being upgraded with more durable parts, better airflow cooling and EEC software updates. It'll take a few more years until all the existing engines worldwide are upgraded to the better standard, but the new build engines have the upgrade from the start. The GTF has better reliability than the V2500 at comparable stages in their lifespans

https://simpleflying.com/pratt-whitn...map-explained/

As it takes 2 months to do the upgrade then whatever happened to X4A the other day was not related.

And the smartest people in the room probably still refuse to accept that by global standards they have an extremely uncompetitive pilot contract.

try paying more. Apparently management don’t think we have any pilot shortages, so why are we allowing foreigners to fly OUR aircraft?

Well I’ve applied 6 months ago as a experienced Fo and so far it’s crickets from the HR dept.
Also a good friend applied for DEC and his experienced on type and crickets.
As an insight to pay year 2 Captains are on 237k usd and check airman are taking home 35k per month doing roughly 80 hrs per month where we work stateside.
With regards to engines if you don’t run them the correct way the bearings tend to seize.
Welcome to the joys of QF recruiting.
Side note we are both Australian citizens, no visa required

So why are you applying to work for peanuts?

Do you have to move the thrust levers a particular way so that the FADEC understands? :ooh:​​​​​​​

This would give you an indication of how you will be treated if you were to be employed by them.

Looks like X4A is now the CBR hangar queen.

engine change on a brand newie how the heck did it get etop's aproval

Virgin's latest Max, 8ID just got an engine change less than 2 weeks into service due to an oil leak.

S**t happens, but I agree - not ideal.

Confirmed they have ETOPS? Did they have to operate for 12 months before receiving the approval?