Qantas A-380 Returns To Singapore After Engine Failure

[trainman34014]

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.

Statistics for people killed in Bangkok Taxis would be interesting. A lot more than in the air since taxis were invented in Bangkok I would imagine!

[Farma]

I read the Cpt of the A380 isn't having a good time with engines. He was also a passenger on the 747 that landed with engine problems.

[bazmlb]

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.

Statistics for people killed in Bangkok Taxis would be interesting. A lot more than in the air since taxis were invented in Bangkok I would imagine!

These pics were taken by the passenger, he was asked by the driver can you drive as i am too drunk, just before a postal turck tried to push the taxi off the edge of the expressway, luckily he was in the front as there was no back seat left.

[rockyysdt]

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

When the CEO Alan Joyce was questioned he indicated that the A380 Airbus can fly safely on two engines.

I thought "would it require one working engine per wing"?

It seems to me the pilot would have to overcome strong directional forces due to thrust coming from two engines on one of the wings.

If two engines failed, I'd feel more comfortable as a passenger if they were engines 1 & 4, or 2 & 3.

Edited November 7, 2010 by rockyysdt

[sibeymai]

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".

The golf buggy's registration number is VH-OJH, in case anyone wants to avoid it.

[sibeymai]

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

When the CEO Alan Joyce was questioned he indicated that the A380 Airbus can fly safely on two engines.

I thought "would it require one working engine per wing"?

It seems to me the pilot would have to overcome strong directional forces due to thrust coming from two engines on one of the wings.

If two engines failed, I'd feel more comfortable as a passenger if they were engines 1 & 4, or 2 & 3.

The computerised flight control system will automatically compensate for whatever engine configuration is operational. Ones assumes that the system can "auto-detect" which engines are working thus avoiding the China Airlines scenario where the pilots wrongly configured a shutdown engine into the autopilot and induced a spiral dive from which they barely recovered.

[lomatopo]

This appears to be the relevant Airworthiness Directive.

Quote:

Wear, beyond Engine Manual limits, has been identified on the abutment

faces of the splines on the Trent 900 Intermediate Pressure (IP) shaft rigid

coupling on several engines during strip. The shaft to coupling spline

interface provides the means of controlling the turbine axial setting and

wear through of the splines would permit the IP turbine to move

rearwards.

Rearward movement of the IP turbine would enable contact with static

turbine components and would result in loss of engine performance with

potential for in-flight shut down, oil migration and oil fire below the LP

turbine discs prior to sufficient indication resulting in loss of LP turbine disc

integrity. Some of these conditions present a potential unsafe condition to

the aeroplane.

QF is replacing an engine on one of three aircraft grounded at LAX, and one engine on one aircraft grounded at SYD. Inspections continue. QF uses the Trent 972/B version while other operators use the Trent 970 version.

Again, an engine failure, while concerning (especially if due to a design or manufacturing fault), can be handled, it is an un-contained failure which can severely damage the aircraft in flight. QF32 lost 50% of its ailerons as one of 2 hydraulic systems was damaged, and they could not shut down engine #1 on landing at SIN.

Edited November 7, 2010 by lomatopo

[skippybangkok]

A British designed engine leaking oil, how weird !

[lomatopo]

A British designed engine leaking oil, how weird !

SQ is swapping engines too so the problem extends to the Trent 970 model as well.

(Reuters) - Singapore Airlines said on Wednesday it will change the engines on three of its A380 aircraft following an engine blowout last week on a Qantas flight.

The Rolls Royce engines on the three SIA aircraft, currently in Sydney, Melbourne and London, will be fitted with new engines, but the model will remain the same, the airline said.

"We apologize to our customers for flight disruptions that may result," Singapore Airlines said.

An airline spokeswoman described the engine change as "precautionary, as advised by Rolls Royce."

She said the engine would remain the Rolls Royce Trent 900, with a minor variation.

Qantas is looking into its use of A380 engines as part of a wider investigation into why a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine blew apart last week, forcing the world's largest passenger plane to make an emergency landing in Singapore with 459 passengers and crew on board.

[bdenner]

A very interesting interview with one of the 'back seat' pilots:Here