Regulatory

EASA orders inspections on Airbus A350-1000 engines after Cathay Pacific incident

European agency issues emergency directive following fuel leak and engine fire on Hong Kong-Zurich flight

188
An Airbus A350-1041 prototype arrives after a test flight in Toulouse, France. (Photo: Clément Gruin (Wikimedia, CC-BY-SA 4.0), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has ordered inspections on engines of Airbus A350-1000 aircraft following a serious incident involving a Cathay Pacific flight earlier this week. The directive comes after an engine fire occurred during a Hong Kong to Zurich flight, forcing the aircraft to return to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff.

According to Reuters, EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet stated, “This action is a precautionary measure, based on the information received from the initial investigation of the recent Cathay Pacific serious incident and on the airline’s findings in its own subsequent inspections.”

The emergency airworthiness directive, issued on Thursday, requires airlines to conduct visual checks and measurements on fuel hoses within a timeframe of three to 30 days. The order affects the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines that power the A350-1000, which represents about 15% of the A350 fleet or 86 aircraft globally.

EASA confirmed that the incident was caused by the failure of a hose in the fuel system, resulting in a fire that was quickly extinguished by the crew. The agency noted that the fire caused heat damage to the engine housing, including ducts used for reverse-thrust on landing.

“This condition, if not detected and corrected could, in combination with additional failures, lead to a more severe engine fire and resulting damage to an airplane,” EASA warned in its directive.

Rolls-Royce and Airbus have stated they are working closely with authorities to comply with the planned directive. Rolls-Royce apologized for any potential disruptions and emphasized its focus on minimizing short-term impacts.

The incident has prompted several airlines to begin inspections of their A350-1000 fleets. Cathay Pacific reported that 15 of its 48 A350s had defective fuel hoses requiring replacement. Other carriers, including Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Etihad Airways, have also initiated checks on their A350 aircraft.

This directive marks the first major safety challenge for the recently appointed EASA Executive Director, Florian Guillermet. The decision to order fleet-wide checks partially overrode efforts by manufacturers to avoid disruptive action based on their own technical analysis, according to sources cited by Reuters.

As the investigation continues, led by the Air Accident Investigation Authority of Hong Kong, EASA has committed to closely monitoring all information that becomes available through the ongoing safety investigation.

Written by
Dirk Andrei Salcedo

An aviation enthusiast turned creator of the top aviation news portal in the Philippines, Dirk has a deep passion for everything that flies. When he's not keeping his finger on the pulse of the industry, he also volunteers with a major humanitarian organization, impacting people on the ground and in the sky.

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

Featured Stories

Categories

Related Articles

Regulatory

CAAP enforces security screening for private aircraft passengers

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has reaffirmed its commitment...

Regulatory

US fines Emirates $1.8M for violating Iraq overflight rules

The U.S. Department of Transportation has fined Dubai-based Emirates airline $1.8 million...

PlanemakerRegulatory

FAA investigates questionable titanium in Boeing, Airbus jets

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how titanium with falsified documentation made...

Regulatory

Singapore, Philippines ink deal to boost air connectivity

Singapore and the Philippines signed a new aviation deal on May 9th...