A380 Qantas: esploso un motore (Rolls Royce)
- Autore Discussione DavidFLR
- Data d'inizio
La cosa sta assumendo proporzioni davvero inquietanti...
More jet engines need replacing
Matt O'Sullivan
November 15, 2010
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BRITISH jet-engine maker Rolls-Royce has told Qantas it is likely to have to replace another seven engines on its A380 superjumbo fleet after inspections found the potential for oil leaks.
Singapore Airlines is also believed to have been informed it will have to change up to 20
astonished::astonished::astonished of the Trent 900 engines used on its fleet of 11 A380s, while German airline Lufthansa faces two replacements.
The latest advice from Rolls-Royce means up to 29 replacement engines will have to be found. It confirmed on Friday that the failure of a ''specific component in the turbine area of the engine'' on a Qantas A380 on November 4 shortly after take-off from Singapore caused an oil fire that led to a turbine disc exploding.
Advertisement: Story continues below
The need for replacement engines creates major headaches for the three airlines, whose A380s are powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900s, due to a lack of spares.
Because the A380 superjumbos are such new aircraft, Rolls-Royce and aircraft manufacturer Airbus do not have a ready supply of engines that can be shipped to the airlines. Qantas has already had discussions with Airbus and Rolls-Royce about obtaining replacement engines should they be required, placing it at the front of the queue before Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.
The Australian airline has so far replaced three engines on three separate aircraft since it grounded its A380 fleet on November 4 but has been told by Rolls-Royce that it could have to replace as many as seven more. Even if some do not have to be changed, engineers are likely to have to make modifications to the engines.
Singapore Airlines last week grounded three A380s to allow for three engines to be replaced. Two of the aircraft have since returned to service while the engine change to the other A380 is almost complete. It takes up to 36 hours to replace an engine.
A spokesman for Singapore Airlines, Nicholas Ionides, said last night that he could not ''speak definitely'' about the number of engines that might have to be changed because investigations had not been completed.
Qantas said it was continuing to inspect engines on its A380s to meet the requirements under the airworthiness directive issued last week by the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Lufthansa replaced an engine on one of its four A380s last week because of a matter unrelated to the problems discovered since Qantas's QF32 suffered an engine explosion on November 4.
Air safety investigators have discovered that the audio from QF32's flight deck voice recorder at the time of the engine failure has been lost. The safety bureau said the audio was overwritten because the recorder, which is on a continuous loop, taped the pilots for more than two hours after the engine blew.
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/more-jet-engines-need-replacing-20101114-17son.html
More jet engines need replacing
Matt O'Sullivan
November 15, 2010
Ads by Google
Flying Business Class?www.flyL4L.com
70% Off on All 1st & Business Class All Major International Airlines
BRITISH jet-engine maker Rolls-Royce has told Qantas it is likely to have to replace another seven engines on its A380 superjumbo fleet after inspections found the potential for oil leaks.
Singapore Airlines is also believed to have been informed it will have to change up to 20
astonished::astonished::astonished of the Trent 900 engines used on its fleet of 11 A380s, while German airline Lufthansa faces two replacements.The latest advice from Rolls-Royce means up to 29 replacement engines will have to be found. It confirmed on Friday that the failure of a ''specific component in the turbine area of the engine'' on a Qantas A380 on November 4 shortly after take-off from Singapore caused an oil fire that led to a turbine disc exploding.
Advertisement: Story continues below
The need for replacement engines creates major headaches for the three airlines, whose A380s are powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900s, due to a lack of spares.
Because the A380 superjumbos are such new aircraft, Rolls-Royce and aircraft manufacturer Airbus do not have a ready supply of engines that can be shipped to the airlines. Qantas has already had discussions with Airbus and Rolls-Royce about obtaining replacement engines should they be required, placing it at the front of the queue before Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa.
The Australian airline has so far replaced three engines on three separate aircraft since it grounded its A380 fleet on November 4 but has been told by Rolls-Royce that it could have to replace as many as seven more. Even if some do not have to be changed, engineers are likely to have to make modifications to the engines.
Singapore Airlines last week grounded three A380s to allow for three engines to be replaced. Two of the aircraft have since returned to service while the engine change to the other A380 is almost complete. It takes up to 36 hours to replace an engine.
A spokesman for Singapore Airlines, Nicholas Ionides, said last night that he could not ''speak definitely'' about the number of engines that might have to be changed because investigations had not been completed.
Qantas said it was continuing to inspect engines on its A380s to meet the requirements under the airworthiness directive issued last week by the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Lufthansa replaced an engine on one of its four A380s last week because of a matter unrelated to the problems discovered since Qantas's QF32 suffered an engine explosion on November 4.
Air safety investigators have discovered that the audio from QF32's flight deck voice recorder at the time of the engine failure has been lost. The safety bureau said the audio was overwritten because the recorder, which is on a continuous loop, taped the pilots for more than two hours after the engine blew.
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/more-jet-engines-need-replacing-20101114-17son.html
In termini di costi (quelli di immagine già sono altissimi) quainto costerà tutto l'ambaradan alla Rolls???
Rolls-Royce reportedly set to replace A380 engines
By Geoffrey Thomas | November 16, 2010
Rolls-Royce has advised airlines that up to 34 Trent 900 engines may have to be replaced, according to airline sources in Sydney, who noted that Singapore Airlines may have to replace up to 20 engines in its fleet of 11 Airbus A380s, and Qantas may have to replace 14 engines.
The replacement is a result of the uncontained failure of a Trent 972 on Qantas Flight QF32 after taking off from Singapore on Nov. 4.
Qantas told ATW it is still working through the issue with Rolls-Royce, while a Singapore Airlines spokesman said the airline is “working with Rolls-Royce on an agreed program, which will cover the replacement of a module in our A380 engines.”
Airbus COO-Customers John Leahy on Friday told Australian media and ATW in Sydney that new-build Rolls-Royce engines had the required modification, understood to be a bearing box, but older engines did not. As of press time, the engine maker had not officially advised its airline customers of the upgrade or a fix for older engines. Rolls has not responded to ATW requests for comment or clarification.
At the briefing, Leahy said that Rolls is “constantly upgrading its engines” and that the new engines had a modification relating to the oil leak problem. “The engines on the production line are to a new-build standard and do not have the [oil] problem,” Leahy said.
Qantas continues to ground its A380s; Airbus had offered to fly some new engines out, but that was before the new revelation on the number of engines to be replaced.
ATWOnline
By Geoffrey Thomas | November 16, 2010
Rolls-Royce has advised airlines that up to 34 Trent 900 engines may have to be replaced, according to airline sources in Sydney, who noted that Singapore Airlines may have to replace up to 20 engines in its fleet of 11 Airbus A380s, and Qantas may have to replace 14 engines.
The replacement is a result of the uncontained failure of a Trent 972 on Qantas Flight QF32 after taking off from Singapore on Nov. 4.
Qantas told ATW it is still working through the issue with Rolls-Royce, while a Singapore Airlines spokesman said the airline is “working with Rolls-Royce on an agreed program, which will cover the replacement of a module in our A380 engines.”
Airbus COO-Customers John Leahy on Friday told Australian media and ATW in Sydney that new-build Rolls-Royce engines had the required modification, understood to be a bearing box, but older engines did not. As of press time, the engine maker had not officially advised its airline customers of the upgrade or a fix for older engines. Rolls has not responded to ATW requests for comment or clarification.
At the briefing, Leahy said that Rolls is “constantly upgrading its engines” and that the new engines had a modification relating to the oil leak problem. “The engines on the production line are to a new-build standard and do not have the [oil] problem,” Leahy said.
Qantas continues to ground its A380s; Airbus had offered to fly some new engines out, but that was before the new revelation on the number of engines to be replaced.
ATWOnline
Airbus, 40 motori da sostituire
Marca Rolls-Royce,3 compagnie coinvolte
Una quarantina di motori Rolls-Royce usati per gli aerei Airbus A380 vanno sostituiti per garantire la sicurezza dei voli, dopo che nei giorni scorsi un motore di questo tipo si è in parte disintegrato su un volo Qantas. A dirlo è la stessa compagnia aerea australiana. Una fonte a conoscenza della vicenda ha detto che Singapore Airlines, che dispone di una flotta di 11 A380, potrebbe essere costretta a cambiare circa 24 motori, Quantas 12 e Lufthansa solo uno o due.
aereo
Il cambio riguarderebbe circa la metà dei motori Rolls-Royce attualmente in dotazione negli A380, il più grande aereo passeggeri del mondo che costa circa 350 milioni di dollari. "Stiamo parlando con Airbus e Rolls-Royce e abbiamo capito che il numero (di motori da sostituire) è di circa 40", ha detto oggi Alan Joyce, amministratore delegato di Quantas. Emirates, il principale utilizzatore mondiale di A380, non è interessato dal problema perché i suoi aerei montano un tipo diverso di motore.
Un A380 Quantas con 466 persone a bordo aveva compiuto un atterraggio di emergenza a Singapore lo scorso 4 novembre, dopo che uno dei motori Rolls-Royce si era parzialmente disintegrato a metà del volo dopo che l'olio aveva preso fuoco. La scorsa settimana Rolls-Royce ha spiegato che il problema del motore Trent 900 è relativo a uno specifico componente della zona turbina.
Attualmente nel mondo volano 37 A380, tra cui 21 con motore Trent 900, con quattro motori per ogni velivolo. Airbus ha ricevuto ordini per almeno 200 altri A380.
tgcom.it
Marca Rolls-Royce,3 compagnie coinvolte
Una quarantina di motori Rolls-Royce usati per gli aerei Airbus A380 vanno sostituiti per garantire la sicurezza dei voli, dopo che nei giorni scorsi un motore di questo tipo si è in parte disintegrato su un volo Qantas. A dirlo è la stessa compagnia aerea australiana. Una fonte a conoscenza della vicenda ha detto che Singapore Airlines, che dispone di una flotta di 11 A380, potrebbe essere costretta a cambiare circa 24 motori, Quantas 12 e Lufthansa solo uno o due.
aereo
Il cambio riguarderebbe circa la metà dei motori Rolls-Royce attualmente in dotazione negli A380, il più grande aereo passeggeri del mondo che costa circa 350 milioni di dollari. "Stiamo parlando con Airbus e Rolls-Royce e abbiamo capito che il numero (di motori da sostituire) è di circa 40", ha detto oggi Alan Joyce, amministratore delegato di Quantas. Emirates, il principale utilizzatore mondiale di A380, non è interessato dal problema perché i suoi aerei montano un tipo diverso di motore.
Un A380 Quantas con 466 persone a bordo aveva compiuto un atterraggio di emergenza a Singapore lo scorso 4 novembre, dopo che uno dei motori Rolls-Royce si era parzialmente disintegrato a metà del volo dopo che l'olio aveva preso fuoco. La scorsa settimana Rolls-Royce ha spiegato che il problema del motore Trent 900 è relativo a uno specifico componente della zona turbina.
Attualmente nel mondo volano 37 A380, tra cui 21 con motore Trent 900, con quattro motori per ogni velivolo. Airbus ha ricevuto ordini per almeno 200 altri A380.
tgcom.it
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetal...natomy-of-the-airbus-a380-qf32-near-disaster/
molto interessante...
molto interessante...
Richiesta danni a Rolls Royce per l'incendio sull'A380 Qantas
19/11/2010
Airbus chiederà un risarcimento a Rolls Royce per l'esplosione di un motore Trent 900 su un A380 della Qantas, atterrato in emergenza, il 4 novembre scorso. "Cercheremo una compensazione finanziaria - ha annunciato un portavoce dell'azienda -. La nostra produzione è lontana dai livelli normali, e Airbus dovrà affrontare costi aggiuntivi per risolvere i problemi dei motori prodotti dalla casa britannica". Secondo la compagnia australiana, Rolls Royce dovrebbe cambiare i motori sull'intera flotta, una ventina di aerei con due motori l'uno. Qantas ha tenuto fermi i suoi sei A380 con motori Trent 900. Da parte di Rolls Royce si registra un 'no comment' dopo che la scorsa settimana aveva detto che l'incendio sul volo della compagnia australiana "era stato causato da uno specifico componente nell'area turbina del motore".
ttg,oggi
19/11/2010
Airbus chiederà un risarcimento a Rolls Royce per l'esplosione di un motore Trent 900 su un A380 della Qantas, atterrato in emergenza, il 4 novembre scorso. "Cercheremo una compensazione finanziaria - ha annunciato un portavoce dell'azienda -. La nostra produzione è lontana dai livelli normali, e Airbus dovrà affrontare costi aggiuntivi per risolvere i problemi dei motori prodotti dalla casa britannica". Secondo la compagnia australiana, Rolls Royce dovrebbe cambiare i motori sull'intera flotta, una ventina di aerei con due motori l'uno. Qantas ha tenuto fermi i suoi sei A380 con motori Trent 900. Da parte di Rolls Royce si registra un 'no comment' dopo che la scorsa settimana aveva detto che l'incendio sul volo della compagnia australiana "era stato causato da uno specifico componente nell'area turbina del motore".
ttg,oggi
in effetti il solito articolo di giornale fatto da chi non sà niente di aerei.... i motori che ha l A 380 sono 4 non 2 e probabilmente il numero di motori da sostituire per Qantas è di 40 per circa 10 aerei ( e non 80 per 20 aerei) per il solo motivo che il problema tecnico che ha portato all esplosione in volo di un R/R Trent 900 è stato riscontrato sulla prima serie di questi motori e non sulla successiva che equipaggia gli ultimi 380 della Qantas
QANTAS Airbus A380 Service Update as of 19NOV10
20101119 by jimyvr Leave a Comment
As per 19NOV10 GDS timetable display, QANTAS is further postponing planned Airbus A380 service into December 2010.
Latest resumption dates as follows, note that further postponement is possible as the airline is unsure when its A380 fleet will be able to re-enter service, according to latest article by Reuters filed
Melbourne – Los Angeles eff 05DEC10
Melbourne – Singapore – London Heathrow eff 05DEC10 (LHR eff 04DEC10)
Sydney – Los Angeles QF011/012 eff 04DEC10
Sydney – Singapore – London Heathrow eff 27NOV10, service operates 4 times a week in its first week of service resumption
20101119 by jimyvr Leave a Comment
As per 19NOV10 GDS timetable display, QANTAS is further postponing planned Airbus A380 service into December 2010.
Latest resumption dates as follows, note that further postponement is possible as the airline is unsure when its A380 fleet will be able to re-enter service, according to latest article by Reuters filed
Melbourne – Los Angeles eff 05DEC10
Melbourne – Singapore – London Heathrow eff 05DEC10 (LHR eff 04DEC10)
Sydney – Los Angeles QF011/012 eff 04DEC10
Sydney – Singapore – London Heathrow eff 27NOV10, service operates 4 times a week in its first week of service resumption
credo che sia un mezzo refuso
pare non tutti fossero da cambiare
ma
di media 2 motori per aereo...
'Rare' oxygen bottle blast holed Qantas jet: probe
AFP
AFP - Monday, November 22
SYDNEY (AFP) - – Australian air safety officials on Monday ruled that a "very rare" oxygen bottle explosion was behind a dramatic mid-air blast which forced the emergency landing of a Qantas flight from Hong Kong in 2008.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said the "forceful rupture" of one of the aircraft's emergency oxygen cylinders had punched a large hole in the Boeing 747's fuselage, causing rapid depressurisation of the cabin.
Passengers had to use oxygen masks which dropped from the ceiling while the captain immediately brought the aircraft down to 10,000 feet and made an emergency landing at Manila International Airport.
None of the 369 passengers and crew was injured.
"The investigation found no record of any other related instances of aviation oxygen cylinder rupture -- civil or military," the ATSB said in its final report into the July 2008 incident.
"Given the widespread and long-term use of this type of cylinder in aerospace applications, it was clear that this occurrence was a very rare event."
The explosion, about an hour into the flight to Melbourne, was so forceful it blew a two-metre wide hole in the plane's body which had debris, wiring and cargo protruding from it at the time of landing.
Investigators were unable to retrieve the bottle, presumed to have been sucked out of the plane over the South China Sea, but the ATSB said a "comprehensive program of testing" was carried out on cylinders of the same type and from the same batch.
"(Testing) did not identify any aspect of the cylinder design or manufacture that could represent a threat to the operational integrity of the cylinders," the ATSB said.
"It is the ATSB's view that passengers, crew and operators... can be confident that the ongoing risk of cylinder failure and consequent aircraft damage remains very low."
The findings come as Qantas grapples with the grounding of its A380 superjumbo fleet following an engine explosion over Indonesia earlier this month.
The national carrier has been plagued with mechanical problems since the November 4 blast, with two Boeing aircraft experiencing engine trouble and a third grounded by a bird strike at Johannesburg last week.
Rolls-Royce has said it may have to replace up to 40 engines on A380s flown by Qantas, Germany's Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines after pinpointing a "specific component" as responsible for an oil fire behind the blast.
AFP
AFP - Monday, November 22
SYDNEY (AFP) - – Australian air safety officials on Monday ruled that a "very rare" oxygen bottle explosion was behind a dramatic mid-air blast which forced the emergency landing of a Qantas flight from Hong Kong in 2008.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said the "forceful rupture" of one of the aircraft's emergency oxygen cylinders had punched a large hole in the Boeing 747's fuselage, causing rapid depressurisation of the cabin.
Passengers had to use oxygen masks which dropped from the ceiling while the captain immediately brought the aircraft down to 10,000 feet and made an emergency landing at Manila International Airport.
None of the 369 passengers and crew was injured.
"The investigation found no record of any other related instances of aviation oxygen cylinder rupture -- civil or military," the ATSB said in its final report into the July 2008 incident.
"Given the widespread and long-term use of this type of cylinder in aerospace applications, it was clear that this occurrence was a very rare event."
The explosion, about an hour into the flight to Melbourne, was so forceful it blew a two-metre wide hole in the plane's body which had debris, wiring and cargo protruding from it at the time of landing.
Investigators were unable to retrieve the bottle, presumed to have been sucked out of the plane over the South China Sea, but the ATSB said a "comprehensive program of testing" was carried out on cylinders of the same type and from the same batch.
"(Testing) did not identify any aspect of the cylinder design or manufacture that could represent a threat to the operational integrity of the cylinders," the ATSB said.
"It is the ATSB's view that passengers, crew and operators... can be confident that the ongoing risk of cylinder failure and consequent aircraft damage remains very low."
The findings come as Qantas grapples with the grounding of its A380 superjumbo fleet following an engine explosion over Indonesia earlier this month.
The national carrier has been plagued with mechanical problems since the November 4 blast, with two Boeing aircraft experiencing engine trouble and a third grounded by a bird strike at Johannesburg last week.
Rolls-Royce has said it may have to replace up to 40 engines on A380s flown by Qantas, Germany's Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines after pinpointing a "specific component" as responsible for an oil fire behind the blast.
DATE:02/12/10
SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence news
Pipe fatigue behind Qantas A380 Trent 900 failure: ATSB
By Siva Govindasamy
The Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) has detailed the reasons behind the uncontained failure of a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine, which forced a Qantas Airways Airbus A380 to make an emergency landing in November.
The ATSB has also recommended an additional one-off inspection within two flight cycles, after an examination of the failed engines components at the Rolls-Royce plants in Derby. This applies to all "relevant" variants of the Trent 900 engine.
In the first public details about the likely cause of the 4 November incident, the ATSB says that there was "fatigue cracking" within a stub pipe that feeds oil into the High Pressure (HP)/Intermediate Pressure (IP) bearing structure. This led to an oil leakage, and subsequently an oil fire and the engine failure, it adds.
"While the analysis of the engine failure is ongoing, it has been identified that the leakage of oil into the HP/IP bearing structure buffer space, and a subsequent oil fire within that area, was central to the engine failure and IP turbine disc liberation event," it adds.
"Further examination of the cracked area has identified the axial misalignment of an area of counter-boring within the inner diameter of the stub pipe; the misalignment having produced a localised thinning of the pipe wall on one side. The area of fatigue cracking was associated with the area of pipe wall thinning."
The failure led to the Qantas A380 losing part of its engine cowling and other components, and damaged its wing, shortly after take-off from Singapore. The pilots made an emergency landing at the same airport.
Both Qantas and Singapore Airlines, which also operates A380s powered by the Trent 900 engines, temporarily grounded their aircraft as a result. SIA resumed services soon after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued guidelines for additional inspections, and Qantas resumed A380 flights last week.
The ATSB, after discussions with Qantas, Rolls-Royce and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), has recommended a more detailed one-off inspection of Trent 900 engines following the latest findings. These should be conducted within two flight cycles, which is above the 20 cycle inspection mandated by EASA after the first incident.
The findings apply to all "relevant" variants of the Trent 900 engine operated worldwide. This means that SIA and Lufthansa, which also operates A380s powered by the engines, will be affected.
"We have begun the inspections and are complying with the recommendations, which are intended to ensure the continued safe operation of the fleet," says SIA.
Qantas, which has returned two A380s to service, says that it will begin the inspections at its maintenance facility in Sydney this afternoon. It does not anticipate any impact on international services at this stage.
"Qantas will determine any further response after it has finalised the inspection regime and consulted with both regulators and the manufacturer," adds the Oneworld carrier.
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...ehind-qantas-a380-trent-900-failure-atsb.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
DATE:02/12/10
SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence news
Qantas considering legal action against Rolls-Royce
By Greg Waldron
Qantas Airways is in discussions with engine maker Rolls-Royce following the business and operational ramifications of an uncontained failure in a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine, which forced a Qantas Airbus A380 to make an emergency landing on 4 November.
"Qantas has commenced discussions with Rolls-Royce on a range of issues concerning the A380 fleet, including financial and operational impacts, as a consequence of the Trent 900 engine failure on 4 November 2010, and will also consider legal options," says the Australian carrier.
Following the carrier's submission of a statement of claim, the Federal Court of Australia issued an injunction in favour of Qantas. The injunction ensures that Qantas can pursue legal action against Rolls-Royce in Australia, primarily under the Trade practices act, if a commercial settlement cannot be reached.
"Today's action allows Qantas to keep all options available to the company to recover losses, as a result of the grounding of the A380 fleet and the operational constraints currently imposed on A380 services," says Qantas.
The 4 November incident caused Qantas to ground its A380s for over three weeks. Only on 27 November did the Australian flag carrier resume limited A380 services, but only on routes that do not regularly require the use of maximum engine thrust.
This, it added, was an individual operational decision and not a directive by Airbus or Rolls-Royce.
Qantas says, however, that it is committed to working with the UK engine maker on the Trent 900 inspection programme, in consultation with Airbus and Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority. It also plans to comply with an EASA Airworthiness directive that Trent 900s undergo certain inspections every 20 flying cycles. What's more, it will undertake a "further one-off" inspection of its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines for "possible tubing defects."
The Qantas announcement follows an Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) report that detailed the reasons behind the uncontained Trent 900 failure.
In the first public details about the likely cause of the incident, the ATSB said there was "fatigue cracking" within a stub pipe that feeds oil into the High Pressure (HP)/Intermediate Pressure (IP) bearing structure. This led to an oil leakage, and subsequently an oil fire and the engine failure.
"While the analysis of the engine failure is ongoing, it has been identified that the leakage of oil into the HP/IP bearing structure buffer space, and a subsequent oil fire within that area, was central to the engine failure and IP turbine disc liberation event," it adds.
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...idering-legal-action-against-rolls-royce.html
SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence news
Pipe fatigue behind Qantas A380 Trent 900 failure: ATSB
By Siva Govindasamy
The Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) has detailed the reasons behind the uncontained failure of a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine, which forced a Qantas Airways Airbus A380 to make an emergency landing in November.
The ATSB has also recommended an additional one-off inspection within two flight cycles, after an examination of the failed engines components at the Rolls-Royce plants in Derby. This applies to all "relevant" variants of the Trent 900 engine.
In the first public details about the likely cause of the 4 November incident, the ATSB says that there was "fatigue cracking" within a stub pipe that feeds oil into the High Pressure (HP)/Intermediate Pressure (IP) bearing structure. This led to an oil leakage, and subsequently an oil fire and the engine failure, it adds.
"While the analysis of the engine failure is ongoing, it has been identified that the leakage of oil into the HP/IP bearing structure buffer space, and a subsequent oil fire within that area, was central to the engine failure and IP turbine disc liberation event," it adds.
"Further examination of the cracked area has identified the axial misalignment of an area of counter-boring within the inner diameter of the stub pipe; the misalignment having produced a localised thinning of the pipe wall on one side. The area of fatigue cracking was associated with the area of pipe wall thinning."
The failure led to the Qantas A380 losing part of its engine cowling and other components, and damaged its wing, shortly after take-off from Singapore. The pilots made an emergency landing at the same airport.
Both Qantas and Singapore Airlines, which also operates A380s powered by the Trent 900 engines, temporarily grounded their aircraft as a result. SIA resumed services soon after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued guidelines for additional inspections, and Qantas resumed A380 flights last week.
The ATSB, after discussions with Qantas, Rolls-Royce and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), has recommended a more detailed one-off inspection of Trent 900 engines following the latest findings. These should be conducted within two flight cycles, which is above the 20 cycle inspection mandated by EASA after the first incident.
The findings apply to all "relevant" variants of the Trent 900 engine operated worldwide. This means that SIA and Lufthansa, which also operates A380s powered by the engines, will be affected.
"We have begun the inspections and are complying with the recommendations, which are intended to ensure the continued safe operation of the fleet," says SIA.
Qantas, which has returned two A380s to service, says that it will begin the inspections at its maintenance facility in Sydney this afternoon. It does not anticipate any impact on international services at this stage.
"Qantas will determine any further response after it has finalised the inspection regime and consulted with both regulators and the manufacturer," adds the Oneworld carrier.
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...ehind-qantas-a380-trent-900-failure-atsb.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
DATE:02/12/10
SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence news
Qantas considering legal action against Rolls-Royce
By Greg Waldron
Qantas Airways is in discussions with engine maker Rolls-Royce following the business and operational ramifications of an uncontained failure in a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine, which forced a Qantas Airbus A380 to make an emergency landing on 4 November.
"Qantas has commenced discussions with Rolls-Royce on a range of issues concerning the A380 fleet, including financial and operational impacts, as a consequence of the Trent 900 engine failure on 4 November 2010, and will also consider legal options," says the Australian carrier.
Following the carrier's submission of a statement of claim, the Federal Court of Australia issued an injunction in favour of Qantas. The injunction ensures that Qantas can pursue legal action against Rolls-Royce in Australia, primarily under the Trade practices act, if a commercial settlement cannot be reached.
"Today's action allows Qantas to keep all options available to the company to recover losses, as a result of the grounding of the A380 fleet and the operational constraints currently imposed on A380 services," says Qantas.
The 4 November incident caused Qantas to ground its A380s for over three weeks. Only on 27 November did the Australian flag carrier resume limited A380 services, but only on routes that do not regularly require the use of maximum engine thrust.
This, it added, was an individual operational decision and not a directive by Airbus or Rolls-Royce.
Qantas says, however, that it is committed to working with the UK engine maker on the Trent 900 inspection programme, in consultation with Airbus and Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority. It also plans to comply with an EASA Airworthiness directive that Trent 900s undergo certain inspections every 20 flying cycles. What's more, it will undertake a "further one-off" inspection of its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines for "possible tubing defects."
The Qantas announcement follows an Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) report that detailed the reasons behind the uncontained Trent 900 failure.
In the first public details about the likely cause of the incident, the ATSB said there was "fatigue cracking" within a stub pipe that feeds oil into the High Pressure (HP)/Intermediate Pressure (IP) bearing structure. This led to an oil leakage, and subsequently an oil fire and the engine failure.
"While the analysis of the engine failure is ongoing, it has been identified that the leakage of oil into the HP/IP bearing structure buffer space, and a subsequent oil fire within that area, was central to the engine failure and IP turbine disc liberation event," it adds.
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...idering-legal-action-against-rolls-royce.html
chiarite le cause dell'INCENDIO che aveva costretto all'atterraggio d'emergenza
Fonte: Corrieredellasera.it 2/12/2010 h.8:48
Blocco degli Airbus 380 Qantas: errore di montaggio dei motori.
Un pezzetto nella turbina consumava la parete del tubo che va al carburante, provocando fughe e fiamme
MILANO - È stato il guasto a «una componente specifica» a causare l'incendio a un motore di un Airbus 380 della Qantas, costretto a un atterraggio d'emergenza. Lo ha reso noto la Rolls Royce, che ha annunciato la sostituzione della componente difettosa su tutti i motori Trent 900 montati sugli A-380. La squadra di tecnici australiani che indaga sull’esplosione in volo, avvenuta a novembre, di un motore Rolls Royce di un Airbus A380 della Qantas, ha rilevato "un problema cruciale di sicurezza" del motore, capace di determinare una "panne catastrofica". La componente, che si trova nell'area turbine, ha prodotto le fiamme alimentate dal carburante sull'aereo atterrato a Singapore il 4 novembre. Secondo l’Ufficio australiano per la sicurezza dei trasporti, un componente del motore assemblato male ha consumato la parete di un tubo che porta il carburante al motore, provocando prima delle fessure, poi delle fughe, infine le fiamme. L’intera flotta di A380 della compagnia aerea Qantas è rimasta a terra dal 4 novembre scorso. Quel giorno il pilota dell’Airbus era stato costretto ad un atterraggio di emergenza all’aeroporto di Singapore. Intanto Airbus ha fatto sapere che i problemi al motore imporranno ritardi nelle consegne dei 22 Super Jumbo previste per il 2011, in quanto la priorità sarà data a garantire i voli dei 39 A380 già in attività. Qantas ha annunciato un'azione legale nei confronti della Rolls-Royce, produttrice dei motori degli A380.
Fonte: Corrieredellasera.it 2/12/2010 h.8:48
Blocco degli Airbus 380 Qantas: errore di montaggio dei motori.
Un pezzetto nella turbina consumava la parete del tubo che va al carburante, provocando fughe e fiamme
MILANO - È stato il guasto a «una componente specifica» a causare l'incendio a un motore di un Airbus 380 della Qantas, costretto a un atterraggio d'emergenza. Lo ha reso noto la Rolls Royce, che ha annunciato la sostituzione della componente difettosa su tutti i motori Trent 900 montati sugli A-380. La squadra di tecnici australiani che indaga sull’esplosione in volo, avvenuta a novembre, di un motore Rolls Royce di un Airbus A380 della Qantas, ha rilevato "un problema cruciale di sicurezza" del motore, capace di determinare una "panne catastrofica". La componente, che si trova nell'area turbine, ha prodotto le fiamme alimentate dal carburante sull'aereo atterrato a Singapore il 4 novembre. Secondo l’Ufficio australiano per la sicurezza dei trasporti, un componente del motore assemblato male ha consumato la parete di un tubo che porta il carburante al motore, provocando prima delle fessure, poi delle fughe, infine le fiamme. L’intera flotta di A380 della compagnia aerea Qantas è rimasta a terra dal 4 novembre scorso. Quel giorno il pilota dell’Airbus era stato costretto ad un atterraggio di emergenza all’aeroporto di Singapore. Intanto Airbus ha fatto sapere che i problemi al motore imporranno ritardi nelle consegne dei 22 Super Jumbo previste per il 2011, in quanto la priorità sarà data a garantire i voli dei 39 A380 già in attività. Qantas ha annunciato un'azione legale nei confronti della Rolls-Royce, produttrice dei motori degli A380.
Bella tegola per RR... Comunque RR si è dimostrata un'azienda affidabile, in poco tempo ha trovato la causa del problema e l'ha risolta.
Sarebbe bello che funzionassero in questa maniera anche altri settori industriali.....
il problema mi sembra sia stato grave..diciamo che l'affidabilità di RR da questa vicenda ne esce minata. Per fortuna che invece hanno trovato la causa : a me più che affidabilità sembra il minimo da richiedere. E bene fa Qantas a intentarle causa : il danno d'immagine ricevuto ha impattato notevolmente sulla compagnia.
Officials Detail Peril of Qantas Jet Saved by Crew
By MERAIAH FOLEY and NICOLA CLARK
Published: December 3, 2010
SYDNEY, Australia — Australian investigators on Friday provided the first official account of the drama aboard the Qantas A380 jet that suffered a midair engine explosion last month, describing in vivid detail the damage to the plane’s wing and fuel systems and lauding the crew for bringing the crippled plane with 469 people to a safe landing in Singapore a mere 150 yards from the end of the runway.
The interim report, released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, confirmed that metal fragments from the splintered turbine of the plane’s No. 2 engine tore holes in the left wing and fuselage minutes after takeoff from Changi International Airport as the plane ascended to about 7,000 feet. The explosion set off a cascade of electrical and hydraulic failures and emergency warnings in at least 10 other areas of the aircraft, leaving the plane with limited flight controls, the report said.
“The aircraft would not have arrived safely in Singapore without the focused and effective action of the flight crew,” the bureau’s chief commissioner, Martin Dolan, told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
The inherent safety of such a huge plane — the largest airliner to date — has been a concern since its inception, and investigators found a potential manufacturing defect in the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines that may have contributed to an oil leak.
Minutes after take-off, the pilots reported hearing “two almost coincident ‘loud bangs,’ followed shortly after by indications of a failure of the No. 2 engine” and intermittent warnings of an engine fire, the report said.
Air safety investigators often say that disasters result from a chain of events, but the report Friday shows how a series of actions can prevent catastrophe as well.
After several attempts, the pilots were able to shut down the damaged engine and, despite a cacophony of alarms and warnings flashing on the cockpit computers, were able to maintain control of the plane as they alerted air traffic control in Singapore of their problem.
The pilot in command, Richard de Crespigny, spent the last two years researching the airplane and its engines for a book, according to Richard Woodward, a safety representative for the international pilots union and Qantas pilot who says he has spoken to the crew of Flight 32.
“His technical knowledge of the airplane is very deep,” Mr. Woodward said.
That experience was called into action during the ordeal as the crew received more than seventeen notifications of malfunctions, most of which would be considered a major event on their own.
By a stroke of luck, the normal complement of a captain and a first officer was supplemented by a second officer in the cockpit at the time, and by two additional pilots on board to observe and evaluate.
The extent of the damage only became clear from a camera mounted on the plane’s tail, which showed a half-meter wide gush of liquid — most likely a mix of fuel and hydraulic fluid — streaming from underneath the left wing.
As the plane lost fuel, its center of gravity began to shift, potentially threatening its stability. But damage to fuel and hydraulic lines made it difficult for the crew to transfer fuel to other tanks.
The report said the crew faced so many alerts that it took nearly an hour to respond to them before they could begin coordinating plans for landing with air traffic controllers. During that time, the plane circled in a holding pattern close to the airport with the autopilot engaged.
In fact, the number of warnings was such that the plane’s computers could not initially make an accurate calculation of whether the jet — still laden with fuel and 50 tons over its maximum landing weight — would be able to slow itself enough on landing to avoid overshooting the end of the runway.
In the end, the pilots — who had a combined 72,000 hours of flight experience — removed some variables from the landing calculations. The computer indicated a safe landing would be possible, but the pilots, nonetheless, instructed flight attendants to prepare for an emergency evacuation if the plane ended up in the water beyond the runway’s end.
The crew knew the landing would be complicated. Because of the engine explosion, the pilots were unsure about the integrity of the fuel system, so they did not transfer fuel from one tank to another, a normal practice on a big airplane to keep it in balance as fuel is burned. As a result, they knew the nose would tend to pitch up on touchdown, and that they could not apply maximum braking pressure until the nosewheel was on the runway.
Fortunately, a contingency plan proved unnecessary. An hour and a half after the explosion, the plane stopped with just 150 yards of concrete to spare, its brakes heated to 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit, and four of its 22 tires blown.
But the ordeal was not over when the plane reached a halt. After landing, an engine kept running, even after the crew discharged fire extinguisher bottles into it. It was finally shut when the cockpit crew asked firefighters on the ground to smother it with foam. The 469 passengers and crew disembarked about an hour later via stairs from the jet’s main deck forward door.
The safety board said its “very complex investigation” would continue, in close cooperation with safety regulators and accident investigators in Europe and Singapore. The agency said it expected to complete its inquiry by November 2011.
On Thursday, investigators said that uneven boring inside an oil tube within a combustion chamber had caused thinning of the metal on one side. Investigators believe that the fault may have led to a fatigue crack from which oil could have leaked into the super hot engine, creating the explosion that caused one of the turbine discs to splinter and fly off the engine, damaging the plane’s left wing and fuselage.
Twenty-one A380s operated by Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa use the Trent 900 engine. Eighteen other A380s, operated by Air France and Emirates, use a different engine.
Qantas briefly grounded its two A380s and subjected them to special tests to see whether the misaligned boring was present in the oil tubes. Four Qantas A380s that normally fly the lucrative Sydney to Los Angeles route remain grounded.
In a brief statement, Rolls-Royce said it would continue to cooperate with international investigators, and would work with aviation regulators, Airbus and its airline customers to “progressively allow the whole fleet of Trent 900 powered Airbus A380s to return to service.”
Fonte:NYTIMES
By MERAIAH FOLEY and NICOLA CLARK
Published: December 3, 2010
SYDNEY, Australia — Australian investigators on Friday provided the first official account of the drama aboard the Qantas A380 jet that suffered a midair engine explosion last month, describing in vivid detail the damage to the plane’s wing and fuel systems and lauding the crew for bringing the crippled plane with 469 people to a safe landing in Singapore a mere 150 yards from the end of the runway.
The interim report, released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, confirmed that metal fragments from the splintered turbine of the plane’s No. 2 engine tore holes in the left wing and fuselage minutes after takeoff from Changi International Airport as the plane ascended to about 7,000 feet. The explosion set off a cascade of electrical and hydraulic failures and emergency warnings in at least 10 other areas of the aircraft, leaving the plane with limited flight controls, the report said.
“The aircraft would not have arrived safely in Singapore without the focused and effective action of the flight crew,” the bureau’s chief commissioner, Martin Dolan, told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
The inherent safety of such a huge plane — the largest airliner to date — has been a concern since its inception, and investigators found a potential manufacturing defect in the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines that may have contributed to an oil leak.
Minutes after take-off, the pilots reported hearing “two almost coincident ‘loud bangs,’ followed shortly after by indications of a failure of the No. 2 engine” and intermittent warnings of an engine fire, the report said.
Air safety investigators often say that disasters result from a chain of events, but the report Friday shows how a series of actions can prevent catastrophe as well.
After several attempts, the pilots were able to shut down the damaged engine and, despite a cacophony of alarms and warnings flashing on the cockpit computers, were able to maintain control of the plane as they alerted air traffic control in Singapore of their problem.
The pilot in command, Richard de Crespigny, spent the last two years researching the airplane and its engines for a book, according to Richard Woodward, a safety representative for the international pilots union and Qantas pilot who says he has spoken to the crew of Flight 32.
“His technical knowledge of the airplane is very deep,” Mr. Woodward said.
That experience was called into action during the ordeal as the crew received more than seventeen notifications of malfunctions, most of which would be considered a major event on their own.
By a stroke of luck, the normal complement of a captain and a first officer was supplemented by a second officer in the cockpit at the time, and by two additional pilots on board to observe and evaluate.
The extent of the damage only became clear from a camera mounted on the plane’s tail, which showed a half-meter wide gush of liquid — most likely a mix of fuel and hydraulic fluid — streaming from underneath the left wing.
As the plane lost fuel, its center of gravity began to shift, potentially threatening its stability. But damage to fuel and hydraulic lines made it difficult for the crew to transfer fuel to other tanks.
The report said the crew faced so many alerts that it took nearly an hour to respond to them before they could begin coordinating plans for landing with air traffic controllers. During that time, the plane circled in a holding pattern close to the airport with the autopilot engaged.
In fact, the number of warnings was such that the plane’s computers could not initially make an accurate calculation of whether the jet — still laden with fuel and 50 tons over its maximum landing weight — would be able to slow itself enough on landing to avoid overshooting the end of the runway.
In the end, the pilots — who had a combined 72,000 hours of flight experience — removed some variables from the landing calculations. The computer indicated a safe landing would be possible, but the pilots, nonetheless, instructed flight attendants to prepare for an emergency evacuation if the plane ended up in the water beyond the runway’s end.
The crew knew the landing would be complicated. Because of the engine explosion, the pilots were unsure about the integrity of the fuel system, so they did not transfer fuel from one tank to another, a normal practice on a big airplane to keep it in balance as fuel is burned. As a result, they knew the nose would tend to pitch up on touchdown, and that they could not apply maximum braking pressure until the nosewheel was on the runway.
Fortunately, a contingency plan proved unnecessary. An hour and a half after the explosion, the plane stopped with just 150 yards of concrete to spare, its brakes heated to 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit, and four of its 22 tires blown.
But the ordeal was not over when the plane reached a halt. After landing, an engine kept running, even after the crew discharged fire extinguisher bottles into it. It was finally shut when the cockpit crew asked firefighters on the ground to smother it with foam. The 469 passengers and crew disembarked about an hour later via stairs from the jet’s main deck forward door.
The safety board said its “very complex investigation” would continue, in close cooperation with safety regulators and accident investigators in Europe and Singapore. The agency said it expected to complete its inquiry by November 2011.
On Thursday, investigators said that uneven boring inside an oil tube within a combustion chamber had caused thinning of the metal on one side. Investigators believe that the fault may have led to a fatigue crack from which oil could have leaked into the super hot engine, creating the explosion that caused one of the turbine discs to splinter and fly off the engine, damaging the plane’s left wing and fuselage.
Twenty-one A380s operated by Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa use the Trent 900 engine. Eighteen other A380s, operated by Air France and Emirates, use a different engine.
Qantas briefly grounded its two A380s and subjected them to special tests to see whether the misaligned boring was present in the oil tubes. Four Qantas A380s that normally fly the lucrative Sydney to Los Angeles route remain grounded.
In a brief statement, Rolls-Royce said it would continue to cooperate with international investigators, and would work with aviation regulators, Airbus and its airline customers to “progressively allow the whole fleet of Trent 900 powered Airbus A380s to return to service.”
Fonte:NYTIMES
Ripropongo il thread perché è uscita questa interessante intervista con il comandante del volo che cita, credo per la prima volta, il fatto che l'esplosione del motore abbia provocato una sessantina di failure simultanee ai vari sistemi dell'aereo.
Lettura interessante e pubblicità ex post per Airbus (probabilmente meritata).
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-...lot-retains-faith-in-a380-20110213-1as5g.html
Qantas 'hero' pilot retains faith in A380
February 13, 2011
The pilot of last November's Airbus flight from Singapore, in which the engine exploded, has declared the Qantas A380 aircraft "absolutely" safe.
Richard de Crespigny managed to land the aircraft after the engine exploded mid-air, resulting in more than 60 separate system failures.
"This is the biggest testament to Airbus. Some people might think the aircraft collapsed under the onslaught but no aircraft is ever designed to take the beating that this aircraft got," Mr de Crespigny told the Nine Network's 60 Minutes on Sunday.
"The wing was clusterbombed, the aircraft had phenomenal damage to all systems - and it didn't just recover, it performed brilliantly. It is indestructible."
Just minutes into the QF32 flight from Singapore on November 4 of last year there was a small oil leak in the intermediate pressure turbine of engine number two.
The oil ignited causing a turbine disk to explode at high speed.
Two pieces smashed through the wing severing the plane's controls while a third did the same underneath the plane.
"Electrically the left hand side of the aircraft was dead. We'd lost 50 per cent of the hydraulics system. The brakes underneath the wings were reduced to 30 per cent braking conditions," he said.
The pilot has been praised for his cool head as he managed to land the plane under these conditions.
"I think it was my finest moment, I think I should give up aviation now and leave on a high because I think it was a good landing under tough conditions," he said.
Mr de Crespigny has been flying with Qantas for 25 years and before that was a pilot with the Airforce.
"I'm so confident that there is nobody in this world who knows that aircraft better than Rich," his wife Coral de Crespigny said.
Ms de Crespigny didn't know about the incident until after her husband was safely on the ground and she got a call from his boss at Qantas.
"He said I need to tell you that Richard's safe and he's on the ground and I said why are you telling me this.
"He said there's been an incident so I immediately turned on the news and I saw that wasn't...well I assumed there had been a crash.
"I'm just so glad he didn't stuff up that landing," she said.
Mr de Crespigny doesn't like being deemed a hero as he said he was just doing his job and was supported by an extraordinary crew with lots of experience.
"I would ultimately be responsible if people died and I am so proud of everyone and all the teams that helped out. I was proud to be in command of that aircraft," he said.
The pilot said that he didn't think an airbus aircraft had ever been challenged as much as this one.
"I think a Rolls Royce engine has never failed so spectacularly... there was so much collateral damage....it was a flight that you could never train for.
"You might practice one or two emergencies, not 60," he said.
Qantas is now completely confident Rolls Royce has fixed the engine fault on the jet.
Lettura interessante e pubblicità ex post per Airbus (probabilmente meritata).
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-...lot-retains-faith-in-a380-20110213-1as5g.html
Qantas 'hero' pilot retains faith in A380
February 13, 2011
The pilot of last November's Airbus flight from Singapore, in which the engine exploded, has declared the Qantas A380 aircraft "absolutely" safe.
Richard de Crespigny managed to land the aircraft after the engine exploded mid-air, resulting in more than 60 separate system failures.
"This is the biggest testament to Airbus. Some people might think the aircraft collapsed under the onslaught but no aircraft is ever designed to take the beating that this aircraft got," Mr de Crespigny told the Nine Network's 60 Minutes on Sunday.
"The wing was clusterbombed, the aircraft had phenomenal damage to all systems - and it didn't just recover, it performed brilliantly. It is indestructible."
Just minutes into the QF32 flight from Singapore on November 4 of last year there was a small oil leak in the intermediate pressure turbine of engine number two.
The oil ignited causing a turbine disk to explode at high speed.
Two pieces smashed through the wing severing the plane's controls while a third did the same underneath the plane.
"Electrically the left hand side of the aircraft was dead. We'd lost 50 per cent of the hydraulics system. The brakes underneath the wings were reduced to 30 per cent braking conditions," he said.
The pilot has been praised for his cool head as he managed to land the plane under these conditions.
"I think it was my finest moment, I think I should give up aviation now and leave on a high because I think it was a good landing under tough conditions," he said.
Mr de Crespigny has been flying with Qantas for 25 years and before that was a pilot with the Airforce.
"I'm so confident that there is nobody in this world who knows that aircraft better than Rich," his wife Coral de Crespigny said.
Ms de Crespigny didn't know about the incident until after her husband was safely on the ground and she got a call from his boss at Qantas.
"He said I need to tell you that Richard's safe and he's on the ground and I said why are you telling me this.
"He said there's been an incident so I immediately turned on the news and I saw that wasn't...well I assumed there had been a crash.
"I'm just so glad he didn't stuff up that landing," she said.
Mr de Crespigny doesn't like being deemed a hero as he said he was just doing his job and was supported by an extraordinary crew with lots of experience.
"I would ultimately be responsible if people died and I am so proud of everyone and all the teams that helped out. I was proud to be in command of that aircraft," he said.
The pilot said that he didn't think an airbus aircraft had ever been challenged as much as this one.
"I think a Rolls Royce engine has never failed so spectacularly... there was so much collateral damage....it was a flight that you could never train for.
"You might practice one or two emergencies, not 60," he said.
Qantas is now completely confident Rolls Royce has fixed the engine fault on the jet.