Airbus A-380 Experiences an Uncontained Engine Failure
Airbus A-380 Experiences an Uncontained Engine Failure
A Qantas Airways Airbus A380 en route from Singapore to Sydney experienced an uncontained engine failure and was forced to dump fuel and make an emergency landing in Singapore. Debris was reported to have fallen from flight QF32 as it passed over the Indonesian island of Batam and witnesses heard a loud explosion as the plane flew overhead.
There were 459 passengers on board with no reported injuries, but two people on the ground in Batam were hit by falling debris from the Airbus A380's blown engine. Authorities were initially concerned that the aircraft had crashed but the Qantas Airways A380 returned safely to Singapore. Qantas Airways has grounded its fleet of A380s until the problem can be determined and repaired.
The incident occurred during the takeoff and climb phase of the flight when the engines were under their most strain. Mechanically this is the most demanding and riskiest part of any flight as the engines are at a high power setting and the aircraft is climbing at low altitude. Qantas has six operational Airbus A380's with 20 more on order and there are 37 A380's in service with other airlines around the world. With the aircrafts exceptional range and economical operation orders are expected to increase over the next decade as airlines around the world upgrade their fleets.
The aircraft has the capability of carrying up to 800 passengers depending on the aircraft configuration. The Airbus A-380 is the largest passenger aircraft ever built and with modern engineering and design is also one of the safest in service today. The cause of the engine failure is under investigation and Rolls Royce who made and designed the engines is working with Airbus and the air carriers to determine and rectify any mechanical or design flaws which may be responsible for the failure.
With Boeing set to unveil its extensively redesigned 747-800 aircraft, which will compete directly for the super jumbo jet market, the engine problem is not a welcome occurrence for those at Airbus. Although the fact that the aircraft landed safely with three engines and the incident did not result in a disaster is perhaps an indication of the excellent design and safety features of the A-380.