Tue, Nov 16, 2010
Directive Revised To Calculate "Average Wear" On Turbine Shaft
To Determine Future Inspections
EASA reportedly revised its
inspection standards for the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine three
months before one catastrophically failed on a Qantas A380, forcing
an emergency landing in Singapore recently.
The original requirements said airlines should calculate time
between inspections for the turbine disc shaft based on the most
worn spot on the shaft. The revised rules, enacted in August,
allowed airlines to use average wear on the shafts. That led to
fewer engine inspections, but EASA determined that it was
"sufficient to prevent unacceptable wear."
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that, while the directive does
not cover the exact part which failed on the Qantas flight, it is
very similar, and is adjacent to the turbine that did fail,
according to a former Embry-Riddle professor of aerospace
engineering.
Rolls-Royce is reportedly replacing
the relevant engine part, and that it is cooperating with aviation
regulators on inspections. Airbus said that Rolls-Royce is
equipping newer versions of the Trent 900 with software that will
detect an oil leak such as the one that led to the failure and shut
the engine down before it disintegrates. Airbus said it would ship
the newer engines to Qantas from the production line. Airbus COO
John Leahy denied that Rolls-Royce knew about the problem before
the Qantas incident.
There is still no firm timeline for a return to service for the
Qantas Airbus A380's. The Australian civil aviation authority will
make that determination. The French news service AFP reports that
Airbus CEO Thomas Enders said he expects that the Trent 900 problem
will "impact deliveries, particularly in 2011" due to increased
checks and recommended replacements. Still, Enders said, the
reputation of the A380 "remains untarnished."
AFP also reports that two Singapore Airlines A380s have resumed
flying following the replacement of the Trent 900 engines after one
was found to have oil stains. One of the airline's super jumbos
remains grounded. In all, Singapore Airlines operates 11 A380
aircraft.
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