AF66 CDG-LAX diverts - uncontained engine failure over Atlantic
Was this a fan disk failure, or an LP shaft failure? If the shaft went ping, the fan would hurtle out the front (taking who knows what with it), and the LP turbine would come out the back pretty quickly too.
The issue with the GEnx fan shaft was related to use of the wrong anti-seize compound during assembly of the fan shaft - this caused stress corrosion which then failed the shaft.
The ring has left the scene though, I suspect with it's blades still attached ... there seems to be little damage to the bypass guide vanes, just the fracture around the blade retainer ring transition cone ... there is little impact damage on the containment ring, and the inlet to the LP compressor looks in good shape too .. all pointing to the fan assembly leaving the scene in one piece.
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A 737 is being sent from Mirabel, presumably the other half of the rescue pair
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NRL58/history/20171001/0100Z/CYMX/CYYR
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/NRL58/history/20171001/0100Z/CYMX/CYYR
With the curvic coupling still in place, the LP shaft is still in it's normal position. I doubt the shaft has moved back.
You WANT the shaft to move and the blades to clash - suddenly unload the LP turbine by removing the fan and you quickly have a turbine running well above it's burst speed. Even if the N1 sensor is still working the FADEC can't pull back the fuel quick enough to prevent a massive uncontained turbine failure.
Last edited by tdracer; 1st Oct 2017 at 01:30. Reason: fixed typo
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I suspect that IF the LP shaft had NOT moved back But remained free wheeling, the photo would NOT be quite sharp as regards the blades being motionless in the x hundred mph airstream. At the same time, damage to the blades trailing edge may not be apparant in the photo.
It is amazing ( lucky ? ) that the forward engine mount seems to be intact and that no or few punctures of the wing and fuselage seem to be evident ( no fuel leaks claimed by ground inspection ? )
It is amazing ( lucky ? ) that the forward engine mount seems to be intact and that no or few punctures of the wing and fuselage seem to be evident ( no fuel leaks claimed by ground inspection ? )
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From the Bristol Post: "Videos and pictures posted on social media by horrified travellers show a large section of the back of the engine is missing from the Air France flight..."
"back of the engine is missing"
Holy crap. The stupid never ceases to amaze. Now back to non-pilot lurk mode.
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Listening to the tower recording, parts were falling off the plane as it rolled to a stop. The fire crew ('Red Leader') was hesitant to approach the aircraft with two engines still turning to retrieve the FOD for further taxi. I'm guessing Goose doesn't have an A380 towbar.
Number one didn't go into reverse on landing.
Time to lease a Volga-Dnepr An-124 into YYR?
I'm sure the attorneys in first class are passing out business cards to the hoi polloi.
Number one didn't go into reverse on landing.
Time to lease a Volga-Dnepr An-124 into YYR?
I'm sure the attorneys in first class are passing out business cards to the hoi polloi.
How old is the plane?
I don't recall how Pratt and GE split the responsibilities on the GP7000 - who did the LP section?
Just thinking out loud here, but on the GEnx, the fan is a 'module' - something that can be removed/replaced almost like an LRU.
If the GP7000 is similar, might there have been a recent fan module replacement what wasn't performed correctly (or perhaps not completely)?
That might explain what otherwise seems a rather baffling failure...
If the GP7000 is similar, might there have been a recent fan module replacement what wasn't performed correctly (or perhaps not completely)?
That might explain what otherwise seems a rather baffling failure...
I would love to hear the cockpit CVR, I’m sure it would make a good training tool. Sitting there quiet quietly in cruise when suddenly all hell breaks loose. I wonder how many ECAM alerts they had in total, I recall the Quantas crew being somewhat overwhelmed by them.
Relieved that everyone landed safely and has a story to tell their grandkids. Hopefully there is no reason to ground aircraft with the same engine.
Relieved that everyone landed safely and has a story to tell their grandkids. Hopefully there is no reason to ground aircraft with the same engine.
Listening to the tower recording, parts were falling off the plane as it rolled to a stop. The fire crew ('Red Leader') was hesitant to approach the aircraft with two engines still turning to retrieve the FOD for further taxi. I'm guessing Goose doesn't have an A380 towbar.
Number one didn't go into reverse on landing.
Time to lease a Volga-Dnepr An-124 into YYR?
I'm sure the attorneys in first class are passing out business cards to the hoi polloi.
Number one didn't go into reverse on landing.
Time to lease a Volga-Dnepr An-124 into YYR?
I'm sure the attorneys in first class are passing out business cards to the hoi polloi.
Number four didn’t go into reverse either
no reverse is fitted on the A380 outboard
engines
Ah, actually it's not. The Southwest event lost the inlet - the fan (well, most of it) was still there. As I understand, a fan blade fractured and the resultant vibration caused the inlet to fail and depart the aircraft.
I don't recall an engine losing the entire fan assembly since a couple RB211 events back in the 1970s (IIRC the fan shaft broke due to a bearing fire that overheated the shaft).
I don't recall an engine losing the entire fan assembly since a couple RB211 events back in the 1970s (IIRC the fan shaft broke due to a bearing fire that overheated the shaft).
Last edited by tdracer; 1st Oct 2017 at 08:01.