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B787 engine failure

Old 08-10-2012, 07:50 AM
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Default B787 engine failure

Boeing 787 Fan Shaft Failure Caused Blown Engine at Charleston

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation of the July 28, 2012 contained engine failure that occurred on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner during a pre-delivery taxi test in Charleston, South Carolina. A contained engine failure is a specific engine design feature in which components might separate inside the engine but either remain within the engine’s cases or exit the engine through the tail pipe. This design feature generally does not pose immediate safety risks.

Last week, the NTSB sent an investigator to the scene to gather information on the incident and subsequently launched a full investigation into the cause of the failure, led by NTSB Investigator-in-Charge, Mr. David Helson.

On August 1, 2012, a team of experts from the NTSB, FAA, Boeing and GE Aviation specializing in engine systems and metallurgy traveled to a GE facility in Cincinnati, OH to disassemble and examine the failed GEnx engine. GE is the manufacturer of the GEnx engine. The parties to the investigation have been extremely cooperative in assisting NTSB personnel in its review and assessment.

As a result of the investigative work to date, the NTSB has determined that a fan mid-shaft on the failed GEnx engine fractured at the forward end of the shaft, rear of the threads where the retaining nut is installed. The fan mid-shaft is undergoing several detailed examinations including dimensional and metallurgical inspections.

The GEnx engine is a newly designed aircraft engine. It is a “dual shaft” engine, meaning that one shaft connects the compressor spool at one end to the high pressure turbine spool at the other end. A longer “fan shaft” connects the fan and booster in the front of the engine to the low pressure turbine in the back.

The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, which is a combined unit on the 787 Dreamliner, was transported to the agency’s Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for processing and readout. Both recordings captured the event and analysis is ongoing.

Moving forward, investigators will continue the detailed examination of the engine and metallurgical analysis of its components. The investigators have also begun reviewing the engine manufacturing and assembly records.

This investigation is ongoing. The information released today is factual in nature and does not include any analysis. Additional factual information may be released as it is developed.

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Old 09-15-2012, 04:25 AM
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Default NTSB Rec

Following NTSB's investigation, the agency released a safety recommendation yesterday,

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletter...12-052-053.pdf

urging the FAA to take urgent action and that it require operators to accomplish repetitive fan midshaft inspections in all GE GEnx-1B and -2B engines "at a sufficiently short interval that would permit multiple inspections and the detection of a crack before it could reach critical length and the FMS fractures"
 
Old 09-28-2012, 06:31 AM
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Default NTSB investigative update

NTSB provides investigative update on GEnx-1B engine failure in South Carolina

September 27, 2012

WASHINGTON - This is an update on the NTSB's investigation into a July 28, 2012 incident involving a Boeing 787-8 airplane that experienced a loss of thrust in the right engine-a General Electric (GE) GEnx-1B turbofan - during a pre-first flight, low-speed taxi test at Charleston International Airport in Charleston, South Carolina. As reported in an earlier update, the investigation found that the forward end of the fan midshaft (FMS) fractured and separated. Examination of other pre-delivery engines revealed a second GEnx-1B engine with a cracked FMS that was installed on a 787-8 airplane that had not yet flown.

The investigation is ongoing, and an initial inspection of all in-service GEnx engines has been completed. Most recently, on September 11, 2012, a Boeing 747-8F with GE GEnx-2B turbofan engines experienced a loss of power in the No. 1 engine during the takeoff roll at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai, China. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is investigating this incident, and the NTSB is participating as the state of design and manufacture of the engine and aircraft. Any investigative updates regarding this incident will be provided by the CAAC.

As part the CAAC's investigation and in relation to the NTSB's ongoing investigation of the July 28th engine failure, preliminary findings from the examination of the Shanghai incident engine revealed that the FMS was intact and showed no indications of cracking. The examination and teardown of that engine is continuing under the direction of the CAAC.
 
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