QF Flight returns to SFO after engine blows up

[NM]

RB211 is a family of engines, and from my googling, I am not sure the AD referred to in the articles even applies to the versions on th 747-400. Or maybe I have just found the wrong AD - back to google

(The AD I found was at Federal Register | Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-22B and RB211-524 Series Turbofan Engines)

QF 747-438 engine would be RB211-524 H-T model. Early 747-438s were delivered with the RB211-524G and the later ones with the H model and all were upgraded to the H-T spec with the Trent 700 HP system for improved efficiency.

[jb747]

Obviously the Captain's main priority is to get the aircraft and its "cargo" down safely, but flying to LAX while dumping vs circling off SFO may reduce the logistics for the ground staff.

I like the idea of keeping the piece of string as short as possible.

Your points are valid, but only operational items are likely to impinge upon the thinking after a major event.

Logistically it would have been best if another aircraft had gone to HK. Logistics though, didn't really come into it.

[JeniSkunk]

QF 747-438 engine would be RB211-524 H-T model. Early 747-438s were delivered with the RB211-524G and the later ones with the H model and all were upgraded to the H-T spec with the Trent 700 HP system for improved efficiency.

I am wondering if this incident is related in any way to the seemingly similar issues with the Trent series engines being assessed for use on the 787.

Jenifur Charne

[FlyboyAl]

it seems this incident should never have happened:


Qantas engine explosion followed safety warning

"Another passenger panicked and yelled, ''We're going to go down, we're going to go down','' but most handled the emergency calmly. Those who were not able to cope were ushered to the front of the aircraft."

So, I guess we now another way to get upgraded

[samh004]

Qantas flight emergency
Listen to the exchange between the pilot and the San Francisco control tower after flight QF74 lost an engine.

Video - The Australian

Longer version from Fairfax.

Video - Cockpit audio as QF74 handles engine failure - The Age

The thing I pick up from both is that the pilots were incredibly level headed and handled the situation they were in as you’d expect them to. So to all the news services that can’t report correctly on the facts, I can’t imagine they’d want to play such a track that proves that despite an issue, the staff handled themselves and situation superbly.

That’s an airline I’d like to fly with!

[NM]

I am wondering if this incident is related in any way to the seemingly similar issues with the Trent series engines being assessed for use on the 787.

Jenifur Charne

Apart from the word Trent in the name, I don't see any correlation

[jb747]

it seems this incident should never have happened:


Qantas engine explosion followed safety warning

I note that on page 5 million of the Friday Herald Sun, they print, in tiny letters, that the engine in question complied with the AD, and as such had only recently (two or three months ago) been stripped down. (Of course, I'm breaking my own rules here by treating something in the paper as a fact).

My disgust with the media just continues to grow. Basically they print rubbish on the front pages in huge letters, and when it all turns out to be rubbish, just quietly forget about it, or print any retractions as far in as possible.

Their accuracy on anything to do with aviation is zero. I assume that their accuracy on every other subject is probably much the same. So, why do we need the media at all?

[docjames]

Their accuracy on anything to do with aviation is zero. I assume that their accuracy on every other subject is probably much the same. So, why do we need the media at all?

It's not just aviation they are rubbish at. As I've stated in another thread, the rush is to be FIRST, not RIGHT.

[oz_mark]

...and over at Crikey Ben Sandilands pulls the offshore maintenance card

Although the last major overhaul of the engine concerned was done at the Qantas base in Sydney more than a year ago, the diminishing size of its 747 fleet has seen much of current work on the RB211 engines transferred to the HAESL Rolls-Royce facility in Hong Kong.

ATSB says Qantas engine explosion damaged flaps – Plane Talking

[oz_mark]

I note that on page 5 million of the Friday Herald Sun, they print, in tiny letters, that the engine in question complied with the AD, and as such had only recently (two or three months ago) been stripped down. (Of course, I'm breaking my own rules here by treating something in the paper as a fact).

I am not sure that the print article is the same as the online article, but there is an article to similar effect online at Qantas jet engine regularly checked, says the airline | Herald Sun

THE Rolls-Royce jet engine that suddenly blew apart on a San Francisco-Sydney flight was regularly inspected and recently underwent detailed scientific checks, the airline said.

Dismissing reports that the Rolls-Royce engine did not comply with maintenance directives, Qantas head of corporate affairs David Epstein said the engine was checked and cleared to fly on July 8 after hundreds of internal components were checked for metal fatigue using a boroscope.