Qantas A-380 Returns To Singapore After Engine Failure

[cdnvic]

Qantas jet engine fails

Matt O'Sullivan

November 4, 2010 - 2:35PM A Qantas A380 has been forced to return to Singapore's Changi Airport after pilots were forced to shut down one of its four engines.

QF32 was bound for Sydney when the engine failed.

A Qantas spokesman said the problems were with engine number two. She did not know why the engine had to be shut down.

Advertisement: Story continues below The incident sparked widespread rumours over the internet through Twitter, that the plane had crashed, which Qantas said were wildly inaccurate.

Kompas, a leading Indonesia newspaper, had reported on its website that it was "suspected that a Qantas plane exploded in the air near Batam".

The website report provided no source for the story.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/qantas-jet-engine-fails-20101104-17f49.html

[theoldgit]

Report from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11691197

[lomatopo]

An up-to-date article here. It looks/sounds like the engine failed on take-off, which typically happens from a bird-strike, but it is far too early to determine the failure mode. The engine cowling (or nacelle) is supposed to contain any failing parts, preventing them from damaging other components, but that doesn't look to be the case here, where parts landed on the ground and you can see damage to the wing surface.

[lomatopo]

Qantas has grounded all A380 aircraft pending an investigation. It sounds as though this was an un-contained engine failure on an engine with very few hours, perhaps owing to a manufacturing fault.

On some of the pictures it looks like engine parts blew through the wing, and the fuselage. Thank goodness no one was injured, either on the aircraft or on the ground.

[ThiagoBras]

I still love the A380 though. It s an amazing looking piece of engineering

[trainman34014]

I still love the A380 though. It s an amazing looking piece of engineering

It's great to fly in too.

Qantas seem to have had a raft of problems over the past couple of years and you have to begin to wonder about Maintenance levels. Freddie Laker once said to me back in the 80's, 'The first thing you do when you take delivery of a new aircraft is throw the Maintenance manuals straight in the rubbish bin and let your experienced fitters do things the way they always have'. ' If we followed the Manufacturers instructions our aircraft would be falling out of the sky every week'.

Engine failure can happen for a multitude of reasons and we may or may not find out what happened depending on why and how it affects the airlines credibility.

[Spee]

In flight video here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/04/qantas-a380-passengers-horror?intcmp=239

Spooky that this could happen on such a new aircraft, but the video is a testament to a well-engineered airframe.

Then there's this, from an old marketing campaign:

[JimSiam]

Turn the clock back two months, http://aircrewbuzz.c...ned-engine.html

Qantas Boeing with a RR suffered an uncontained engine failure, RR have some explaining to do, especially after I saw they had a uncontained engine failure during testing of the RR powerplants on the new 787.

A couple of pics from the A380 incident.

[JimSiam]

Imagine being onboard when this happens to an engine.

So lucky no one was hurt, its still well known a single engine failure can bring down a 747, luckily this didnt happen with the A380

[WarpSpeed]

Scary stuff..

On my way here years ago during the long flight I got up several times to stretch and use the bathrooms and always took some time looking out the windows and watching the engines and how they bounce with the wind currents and turbulence etc..

On my final trip to stretch before Narita I did my usual routine and was watching out the window and we were about an 1 hour out of Japan for our brief stop over. It was a Northwest airways 747 and I noticed something I'd never seen before in previous times stretching having watched the engines several times by this point. Being a mechanical engineer I was certain what I saw was an unbalanced rotation to the outboard port engine like an out of balance washing machine only not as dramatic in motion of course.

It was subtle but unmistakable and you had to watch past the normal turbulence to see it but it was rhythmic and an engine at those Rpm's a vibration like that would be internally devastating in no time so I quietly got the attention of the first class steward and asked him to come take a look which he did without a bit of hesitation nor doubt. He asked me if I saw something?

When I told him my credentials he asked my opinion and he listened very intently and watched with me a few minutes when I finally told him he should notify the flight engineer and that I was going to go sit down and buckle my belt. I left him still looking intently a few more minutes and then once I was seated a short time afterwards I heard the other 3 engines increase in Rpm's and no doubt they decreased the Rpm's on the suspect engine there was no choice but to go forward we were out in the middle of the Pacific (well not quite the middle thankfully) and only about 45 minutes out of Narita at that point..

We landed safely obviously and after we went through customs we returned back to the same gate for the plane to be refueled and continue to Bangkok when they announced a 30 minute delay which then turned into an hour and finally they literally pulled the plane out of the gate right in front of us and brought in another one.

I was seriously relieved as that plane was obviously dated from it's condition and had definitely seen better flights but at the same time the reality sunk in as that was final confirmation of my suspicions and it was pretty scary stuff and took a lot to get back on the plane for the next leg to Bangkok.. I placed the odds in my favor though at that point..Wish I could really gamble that well ..

My only regret now is that I never gave my name or anything and no such thing as video either I might have gotten free life time flights or something. Who knows?

[Goshawk]

Back in March i was sitting inside an Emirates A380 at Dubai waiting for pushback, when the Cap came on the intercom saying there will be a delay as there's an engine problem.

An hour later, we were all still sat there waiting... then another half hour...

looking through the window, swarms of engineers were gathered around the (coincidently the same as the Qantas - left side inboard) engine & all the outer casing was off with fluid pouring out onto the tarmac from it..

Half an hour later, the Cap comes back on (thats 2 hours we were sat in the plane at the gate) telling us that we would all be disembarking the aircraft for our comfort while further 'repairs' are made to the engine..

As i was leaving, i turned & snapped a photo of what was going on - the huge team of engineers around the semi-dismantled engine.. and as soon as i entered the airport again, i was swooped upon by airport security yelling "no photo..! no photo..!"

Anyway they took my camera and deleted the images..!! (gave it back after)

5 hours later (+ the 2 we'd spent sat in it), the A380 was ready again.. we all got back onboard and all was fine..

I'd sort of forgotten about it until this Qantas 'business'... Related or not, who knows..?

But i'm glad they detected what was really wrong with it on the ground rather than at 30,000ft up in the wind..

[sunholidaysun1]

If one of these A380's does crash, its going to be a real mess, especially if its fully loaded with 800 Passengers, but if it crashes on a city , OMG.

Its not a case of where but when ?

[Goshawk]

...i must just add to my previous post that Emirates uses the Engine Alliance GP7000 jet engine on all its A380's, and not the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 that is used on the Qantas jets & others...

[Jimjim]

That's a pretty amazing story, Warpspeed. Wow.

Imagine if you saved a future crash! It's great that they actually listened to you, as well.

[cdnvic]

Second Qantas jet in engine scare

A Qantas airline jumbo jet has made an emergency landing in Singapore because of an engine problem. The Boeing 747-400 turned back shortly after take-off from Changi Airport, airline officials said.

It comes a day after a Qantas Airbus A380 was forced to make an emergency landing at the same airport after one of its engines exploded.

Qantas grounded its six-strong fleet of A380s and an investigation is under way into what caused the blowout.

The latest incident affected Sydney-bound flight QF6, which was carrying more than 400 passengers.

"Shortly after take-off the captain experienced an issue with one of its engines," a Qantas spokeswoman said.

The plane managed to land safely, she said.

Full Story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11702365

[soihok]

Its just not Quantas's week is it.

Never flown with them and don't intend to.

If I was a technician linked to the maintenance of both of these planes I would be hiding behind the sofa with the phone off the hook.

[lomatopo]

I thought this was a pretty good article, other than the headline.

With six A380s off-line travelers must be facing some delays. I think three QF A380s are at LAX. LH has been delaying, or swapping, aircraft on their A380 routes as they check the engines.

While the engine failure is concerning, the fact that it was partially un-contained is much more distressing. Also interesting was that on QF32 they couldn't shut down engine #1 on the ground, so it had to be foamed which may have resulted in the loss that that engine as well.

[cdnvic]

Amazing how so many people get freaked out over these occurrences yet will jump into a Bangkok cab without a care.

[lomatopo]

Another interesting article, pointing to an engine design flaw or manufacturing error. I would hate to be the senior person at LH, QFor, SQ who has to make the call on approving, or not approving, operating these aircraft. I guess insurance underwriters have a lot of input?

[Robby nz]

Another report (Telegraph) said the second one went Manila not Singapore.

Not an engine this time but a big hole in the fusalage.

Had a photo in that other report.

[cdnvic]

That was in 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7524733.stm

[Robby nz]

Sorry about that got the wrong one

[Stuart8]

Its just not Quantas's week is it.

Never flown with them and don't intend to.

If I was a technician linked to the maintenance of both of these planes I would be hiding behind the sofa with the phone off the hook.

Indeed for Qantas this is a very bad week. Out of all airlines flying jet airliners they almost certainly have the best accident record.

[Siam Simon]

Amazing how so many people get freaked out over these occurrences yet will jump into a Bangkok cab without a care.

Yeah. statistically, 'planes win hands-down over cars. Yet air crashes still spook me more than car accidents. I can only think it must be the 'finality factor': Not many people survive air crashes.

Anyway, this one, mercifully, had a good outcome.

[soihok]

Amazing how so many people get freaked out over these occurrences yet will jump into a Bangkok cab without a care.

Yeah. statistically, 'planes win hands-down over cars. Yet air crashes still spook me more than car accidents. I can only think it must be the 'finality factor': Not many people survive air crashes.

Anyway, this one, mercifully, had a good outcome.

Agreed, everyone is safe.

Thing is Bangkok taxi's don't travel at 100's of mph at 38,000 feet. Although sometimes it seems that way.

[lomatopo]

Indeed for Qantas this is a very bad week. Out of all airlines flying jet airliners they almost certainly have the best accident record.

Perhaps "best safety record" is a better description? Many here will remember QF1's crash-landing at BKK on 23 Sep 1999, no fatalities (although I wouldn't have wanted to be on the upper deck starboard escape chute ). QF spent a ton of money to recover and repair that airframe in order to maintain their unblemished record. Since it plowed through the golf course at DMK it was renamed the "golf buggy".

[JimSiam]

So the tally is at one A380 and two 747's in 3 months for Qantas.

The previous 747 was forced to land at San Francisco Sept 2, 2010 after an uncontained engine failure.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/qantas-engine-explosion-followed-safety-warning-20100901-14nnn.html?autostart=1

[WarpSpeed]

That's a pretty amazing story, Warpspeed. Wow.

Imagine if you saved a future crash! It's great that they actually listened to you, as well.

IMO as quickly as this came up from the previous time I stretched it is very likely it would not have lasted the next leg to Bangkok, it was ok and a little more then an hour later it was a problem, crash maybe? But an emergency no doubt, especially on take off with the most stress on the engines.

Yes I was very impressed that they took me seriously at least, without any patronizing and maybe it did make a difference. It's certain my calm demeanor helped out the presentation even though inside I wanted to run through the isles screaming! Of course all they had to do was watch for themselves to confirm what I noticed and not take my word for it and no doubt besides the steward the engineer did as well.. I think due to the recent events of the past they take more passengers concerns more seriously and without being complacent or patronizing that's definitely a good change to come out of all of this mess. In the air we're all in it together it's not us against them, without the plane, none of us can fly..

[WarpSpeed]

Amazing how so many people get freaked out over these occurrences yet will jump into a Bangkok cab without a care.

At least you can get out of the cab and walk home if need be..

[cdnvic]

Amazing how so many people get freaked out over these occurrences yet will jump into a Bangkok cab without a care.

At least you can get out of the cab and walk home if need be..

Yes, but you are many times more likely to be killed or badly injured so that you can't walk home. I know it's difficult to whip up unnecessary fear and hysteria when things are shown in proper perspective though. The facts keep getting in the way.

As has been shown here, this is the first time this has happened on an A-380. Though rare, it's commonplace enough that when it happens on other aircraft it hardly makes the news. A component fails, and an aircraft returns safely, as it's designed to be able to.