Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: henryd on 04 November 2010, 11:49:18

Title: airbus a380 close call
Post by: henryd on 04 November 2010, 11:49:18
just seen this on the news,lucky to get down in one piece
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11691543
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: aaronjb on 04 November 2010, 11:52:59
"Mind that flock of birds"
"What flock of birds?"
"That flock of *bang*"
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: henryd on 04 November 2010, 11:55:07
I don't think constipation will be a problem for any of the passengers for a few days :o
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: aaronjb on 04 November 2010, 11:57:06
 ;D That would be somewhat bowel evacuating, especially if you could see the problematic engine..

I like the quote, though: "It's a significant engine failure," Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.

Just in case the burnt, smashed and somewhat destroyed engine casing didn't give it away ;)
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Lizzie_Zoom on 04 November 2010, 12:18:14
Yes and apparently Quantus are grounding all Airbus 380s for detailed engine inspections.  No doubt Rolls Royce engineers will be swarming over this one! ::) ::)
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: henryd on 04 November 2010, 12:28:31
I can't imagine the devastation if one of these should ever hit the ground,I saw one at the goodwood festival of speed a couple of years ago and its bloody enormous
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Nickbat on 04 November 2010, 12:29:26
Video from inside the cabin. Look at the rip on upper wing surface.  :o :o

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article8070445.ab
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: wingman on 04 November 2010, 12:37:03
Engine failures these days are a very rare occurrence so I guess that RR engineers will be really concerned about this. Doesn't look like ingestion of debris caused failure as if that were the case main fan fairing would have contained damage caused by blades being destroyed. Looks as though failure was further back in engine, perhaps compressor blade fatigue failure? That said the 380 is fully capable of flying on 3 engines but I'm glad I wasn't onboard to test that!!
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: mantahatch on 04 November 2010, 13:07:44
Never ever fly with Quantas, they are the only major airline to have never had a major crash. So they are well overdue one  ;D
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Kevin Wood on 04 November 2010, 13:10:16
Quote
Engine failures these days are a very rare occurrence so I guess that RR engineers will be really concerned about this. Doesn't look like ingestion of debris caused failure as if that were the case main fan fairing would have contained damage caused by blades being destroyed. Looks as though failure was further back in engine, perhaps compressor blade fatigue failure? That said the 380 is fully capable of flying on 3 engines but I'm glad I wasn't onboard to test that!!

Yep. You can see that the engine has practically cut itself in half at the front of the turbine stages at a guess. I reckon one stage started shedding blades and it's completely taken out the adjacent section of turbine housing and the outer cowling. Jet engine equivalent of a "leg out of bed" so "significant engine failure" - I'd say so. ;D

I'm sure RR will be very interested in what happened to the materials in that (the hottest) part of the engine.

Kevin
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: wingman on 04 November 2010, 13:27:07
Yes if a blade or blades did detach or fail that would be a very grave concern for RR. The manufacture and fitting of these turbine blades is a highly technical process as shown on TV a few months ago but is technically no different on these Trent 300 engines than on other RR engines.
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: aaronjb on 04 November 2010, 13:29:14
This was on the news in the lunch room and a colleague looks concerned and says "Maybe I should cancel that ticket to Japan.." - he's flying on a Lufthansa A380 ;D

Although they use "Engine Alliance" engines - which if you ask me, sounds like the name of some dodgy engine refurb place you'd find on eBay ;D
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: bluey on 04 November 2010, 13:29:22
Quote
I can't imagine the devastation if one of these should ever hit the ground,I saw one at the goodwood festival of speed a couple of years ago and its bloody enormous

What's even more worrying is how quiet it is.  When this plane made its maiden visit to heathrow I was working at an office directly under the flight path, and the sheer lack of noise as it flew at circa 1,000 feet was spooky. If you're going to be near a plane coming down, at least have the chance of hearing it coming!
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Chris_H on 04 November 2010, 13:41:50
Quote
Quote
I can't imagine the devastation if one of these should ever hit the ground,I saw one at the goodwood festival of speed a couple of years ago and its bloody enormous

What's even more worrying is how quiet it is.  When this plane made its maiden visit to heathrow I was working at an office directly under the flight path, and the sheer lack of noise as it flew at circa 1,000 feet was spooky. If you're going to be near a plane coming down, at least have the chance of hearing it coming!
I suspect that if it was throwing turbine blades you would hear a distinctive sound - a bit like a circus knife-throwers assistant hears! :D
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Lizzie_Zoom on 04 November 2010, 14:03:55
Well whatever the cause, it does seem that something ejected from the engine and existed through the wing.  The very thing that Rolls Royce try and avoid!!

This is an interesting piece of film on the RR A380 Arbus Trent engine test that demonstrates how the cowling shield should stop flying blades:

The testing starts from about 3.30 minutes

http://xo.typepad.com/blog/2009/02/a380-jet-engine-test.html
 ;)
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: henryd on 04 November 2010, 14:17:39
very lucky that the debris that exited the wing didn't head into the cabin area
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: aaronjb on 04 November 2010, 14:27:17
Quote
Well whatever the cause, it does seem that something ejected from the engine and existed through the wing.  The very thing that Rolls Royce try and avoid!!

This is an interesting piece of film on the RR A380 Arbus Trent engine test that demonstrates how the cowling shield should stop flying blades:

The testing starts from about 3.30 minutes

http://xo.typepad.com/blog/2009/02/a380-jet-engine-test.html
 ;)

I'm no expert, but I think that shows a compressor blade failure (which would be more common in bird strikes and so on, I'd imagine) - while it looks like the engine in question suffered turbine-end failure.. I've no idea if the cowling at that end is designed with the same protection in mind..
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Entwood on 04 November 2010, 14:42:34
Lets get one thing very clear .. that has been missed by all the "headline" makers ....

ALL modern aircraft are DESIGNED to be able to suffer a failure of the "critical engine" at the "critical time" on takeoff and then continue flight. It is designed in and practiced by the crews many many times in simulators.

An aircrafts "critical engine" is "usually" the starboard outboard engine, due to its position and direction of rotation ( the spinning masses of compressors and turbines have a gyroscopic effect), although this is being designed out as far as possible.

The "critical time" is a speed known as V1 .. below that speed the takeoff can be abandoned and the aircraft bought to rest in the remaining length of runway. Above that speed here is insufficient stopping distance.....

So an engine failure AT V1 means the remaing engine(s) must be capable of getting the aircraft airborne, under control, and to a sufficient altitude that either a return to land in good weather, or a diversion to the "take off diversion"  in bad weather is accomplished.

Whilst it was alarming for the pasengers, and probably a little exciting on the flight deck, the aircraft and crew did no more than what the designers and the hours of training had equiped them to do.

The ideas of "miracle survival" (!!), "close call", "near accident" are all scaremongering and newspaper selling of the worst kind.

It was a "routine mishap" if you like american jargon ....:(
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: aaronjb on 04 November 2010, 15:20:14
Newspapers do like to hype things up..

A 'miracle survival' would be the aircraft breaking up at 35,000ft and having someone survive unscathed (which, IIRC, has happened before)

I still bet it was a bit buttock clenching for the passengers, if not the staff ;)
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Martin_1962 on 04 November 2010, 15:31:46
Quote
This was on the news in the lunch room and a colleague looks concerned and says "Maybe I should cancel that ticket to Japan.." - he's flying on a Lufthansa A380 ;D

Although they use "Engine Alliance" engines - which if you ask me, sounds like the name of some dodgy engine refurb place you'd find on eBay ;D


The GE engines are not as advanced as the Trents
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: wingman on 04 November 2010, 16:09:07
[/quote]
I'm no expert, but I think that shows a compressor blade failure (which would be more common in bird strikes and so on, I'd imagine) - while it looks like the engine in question suffered turbine-end failure.. I've no idea if the cowling at that end is designed with the same protection in mind..[/quote]

No obviously not!!
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: aaronjb on 04 November 2010, 16:36:49
Quote
Quote
I'm no expert, but I think that shows a compressor blade failure (which would be more common in bird strikes and so on, I'd imagine) - while it looks like the engine in question suffered turbine-end failure.. I've no idea if the cowling at that end is designed with the same protection in mind..

No obviously not!!

;D ;D Well it could have been - but if it was, it didn't work very well ;D
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Entwood on 04 November 2010, 16:56:54
If the compressor or turbine blades fail and depart outwith the engine ... it is described as an "uncontained" failure. Engines these days are "wrapped" with titanium/kevlar or something else to "contain" the bits and prevent collateral damage.... the "bits" are allowed to exit via the exhaust of course !!

Looking at the pictures, and with no expertise on these engines .. it would appear some collateral damage from either compressor/turbine blades has occurred to the wing structure ... that will be the subject of great examination .. as the idea of hot blades passing into fuels cells does not sit well in aviation minds .....

There is also damage to the rear of the engine which, to my mind, looks to be the area of the "clamshell doors" used to enable reverse thrust. These are situated in the exhaust duct after the turbine, and mostly use "bypass" air, but might well be damaged by a "semi-contained" failure.

These engines are "high ratio by-pass" engines ... sometimes (incorrectly) called "shrouded propellors" .. in which only a small percentage of the air passing through goes to the central core and is used for combustion. This does mean that the central core rotates at very high speed, at high temperatures, and under considerable pressure. Mechanical failure is therefore not unexpected, however the incidence is "planned for" even though it is comparitively rare.
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Nickbat on 04 November 2010, 19:50:14
Hi-res picture of that damaged wing surface:

http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X487496&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitpic.com%2F33spxm%2Ffull&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pprune.org%2Frumours-news%2F432704-qantas-emergency-landing-singapore-15.html

 :o
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: BigAl on 04 November 2010, 22:12:44
Quote
Hi-res picture of that damaged wing surface:

http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X487496&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitpic.com%2F33spxm%2Ffull&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pprune.org%2Frumours-news%2F432704-qantas-emergency-landing-singapore-15.html

 :o
I expect that most surviving WWII pilots will look at that and laugh, while commenting "call that a hole!"
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Banjax on 05 November 2010, 08:46:30
I agree with Entwood, the pilot certainly didn't seem overly bothered and the plane was far from disaster  :y
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Chris_H on 05 November 2010, 09:17:21
Quote
Hi-res picture of that damaged wing surface:

http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X487496&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitpic.com%2F33spxm%2Ffull&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pprune.org%2Frumours-news%2F432704-qantas-emergency-landing-singapore-15.html

 :o
That wing damage is surprisingly forward of the engine that caused it.  Damage to the engine appeared to be at its rear. :-/
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Lizzie_Zoom on 05 November 2010, 09:59:11
Quote
Quote
Hi-res picture of that damaged wing surface:

http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X487496&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitpic.com%2F33spxm%2Ffull&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pprune.org%2Frumours-news%2F432704-qantas-emergency-landing-singapore-15.html

 :o
That wing damage is surprisingly forward of the engine that caused it.  Damage to the engine appeared to be at its rear. :-/


Yes indeed Chris, and I believe that is one of the factors that is deaply troubling those now investigating the incident, namely Rolls Royce.  Any blades being thrown should have been retained, but were not.

It has also been stated that there were already concerns, with a report being written, on these engines on the A380.

Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Kevin Wood on 05 November 2010, 10:35:00
Quote
That wing damage is surprisingly forward of the engine that caused it.  Damage to the engine appeared to be at its rear. :-/

The front of the engine sits well forward of the leading edge of the wing, though. I'd say it's roughly consistent with the picture of the engine damage, TBH.

Kevin
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Chris_H on 05 November 2010, 12:02:27
Quote
Quote
That wing damage is surprisingly forward of the engine that caused it.  Damage to the engine appeared to be at its rear. :-/

The front of the engine sits well forward of the leading edge of the wing, though. I'd say it's roughly consistent with the picture of the engine damage, TBH.

Kevin
Studying the few pics available it now looks to me as if the engine with rear damage is not the offender - it has taken debris from its outboard brother.  So compressor failure or inhaled debris looks most likely.  On the other hand - I give up.
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Nickbat on 05 November 2010, 14:52:05
Apparently, a Qantas 747-400 has just made an emergency landing in Singapore with an engine fault.

That's quite a coincidence.  :o

Updated with link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11702365
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: aaronjb on 05 November 2010, 14:59:04
I wonder if any of the people originally due to fly on the A380 were bumped to that flight? ;D
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Kieran on 05 November 2010, 15:00:22
Quote
Quote
This was on the news in the lunch room and a colleague looks concerned and says "Maybe I should cancel that ticket to Japan.." - he's flying on a Lufthansa A380 ;D

Although they use "Engine Alliance" engines - which if you ask me, sounds like the name of some dodgy engine refurb place you'd find on eBay ;D


The GE engines are not as advanced as the Trents
They are now :y
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: tunnie on 05 November 2010, 15:03:46
bet they won't ground the 747 fleet!
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Kevin Wood on 05 November 2010, 15:24:55
Does make me wonder if someone's been tipping a few bags of Tate & Lyle into the fuel supply. :-?

Kevin
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: wingman on 05 November 2010, 16:04:20
Quote
Apparently, a Qantas 747-400 has just made an emergency landing in Singapore with an engine fault.

That's quite a coincidence.  :o

Updated with link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11702365
Different Engines methinks!!
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Martin_1962 on 05 November 2010, 16:25:27
Quote
Quote
Apparently, a Qantas 747-400 has just made an emergency landing in Singapore with an engine fault.

That's quite a coincidence.  :o

Updated with link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11702365
Different Engines methinks!!


Possibly RB211s - the predecessor of the Trent range

Edited as the post font is minute
Title: Re: airbus a380 close call
Post by: Dishevelled Den on 05 November 2010, 16:52:27
Quote
Does make me wonder if someone's been tipping a few bags of Tate & Lyle into the fuel supply. :-?

Kevin

Another incident of a similar nature and I'd be asking  "Is that one lump or two?"