Cathay Airbus engine fire linked to cleaning: EU regulator

Cathay Pacific grounded its A350s aft a Zurich-bound pitchy was forced to crook backmost to Hong Kong earlier successful September. Photo: Anthony WALLACE / AFP
Source: AFP

A cleaning process starring to substance hose degradation during refurbishment whitethorn person caused a caller Airbus A350 motor occurrence that triggered dozens of Cathay Pacific formation cancellations this month, the EU aviation regulator said Thursday.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) besides said it had widened the fig of motor variants perchance affected by the suspected defect, which see Rolls-Royce engines powering A350-900s and A350-1000s.

Hong Kong-based Cathay concisely grounded its fleet of A350s for inspections and repairs aft a Zurich-bound level was forced to caput backmost to the Chinese metropolis connected September 2.

Inspections recovered that components connected 15 of the 48 planes successful the fleet of A350s, powered by engines from the British shaper Rolls-Royce, had to beryllium replaced.

The results of a Hong Kong probe released Thursday said the Zurich-bound plane's motor defect could person escalated into "extensive damage".

A post-flight introspection recovered that a substance hose had ruptured, arsenic evidenced by a "discernible hole", pain marks and "black soot observed connected the aft conception of the halfway engine", the investigators said.

The substance could person leaked done the ruptured hose and resulted successful a occurrence that would person dispersed to surrounding areas, said the study released by the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA).

"If not promptly detected and addressed, this situation... could escalate into a much superior motor fire, perchance causing extended harm to the aircraft," it said, categorising the incidental arsenic "serious".

Five further substance hoses successful the Zurich-bound level -- which was manufactured successful 2019 -- were besides recovered to person either "frayed metallic braids oregon collapsed structures", the authorization said.

The AAIA recommended that the EASA necessitate Rolls-Royce to "develop continuing airworthiness information, including but not constricted to, inspection requirements of the secondary substance manifold hoses" of the engines successful question.

In its report, Hong Kong investigators said the Cathay formation unit saw an motor occurrence informing for the fig 2 motor soon aft liftoff.

The unit declared an exigency "mayday" awesome but aboriginal downgraded it to a telephone indicating an urgent situation.

The occurrence informing was cleared aft 59 seconds, arsenic the unit unopen down the motor and utilized a occurrence extinguisher.

Thursday's preliminary study "should beryllium regarded arsenic tentative", a spokesperson said.

'Precautionary measure'

The Zurich-bound Cathay level that was forced to instrumentality to Hong Kong was an A350-1000 model, the AAIA study said.

The Cathay incidental prompted different airlines successful Asia to transportation retired akin checks connected their A350-900 and A350-1000 models, which are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 and XWB-97 engines.

The EASA besides mandated inspections connected A350-1000s arsenic a "precautionary measure", noting that determination are 86 specified craft successful work worldwide.

However, it said mandatory inspections of Airbus A350-900 engines were "not warranted astatine this stage".

Rolls-Royce said Thursday that it was continuing to enactment intimately with regulators to enactment the ongoing investigation.

"The motor and craft strategy promptly detected and addressed the issue, arsenic expected with specified an incident," a spokesperson said.

Cathay said successful a connection that it is "in afloat compliance with the EASA Emergency Airworthiness Directive" referenced successful the Hong Kong investigators' report.

The hose "continues to enactment intimately with the airframe and motor manufacturers and regulator," it added.

Qatar Airways is the biggest relation of the A350-1000, with 24 successful its fleet, followed by Cathay Pacific and British Airways, which some person 18.

Airbus declined to remark connected the AAIA report, portion the EASA person not responded to AFP's requests for comment.

Last November, Emirates main enforcement Tim Clark expressed concerns astir the durability and longevity of A350 engines.

Rolls-Royce has defended its Trent XWB-97 engines and said it is taking steps to amended their durability.

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Source: AFP