Partners and Programs:
  • BARS
  • GSIP
  • SKYbrary
  • ASN
  • Contact Us
  • Members' Center
  • Login
  • Support Aviation Safety

  • Industry Updates
  • The Foundation
    • About the Foundation
    • Founders
    • Mission
    • History
    • Leadership
    • Officers and Staff
    • Media/Communications
    • Aviation Award & Scholarship Programs
    • Work with Us
    • Join Us
  • Events
  • AeroSafety World
  • Toolkits & Resources
    • COVID-19 Crisis Resources
    • Fatigue Management
    • Flight Path Monitoring
    • Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPPRE)
    • Go-Around Project
    • Global Safety Assessment Project
    • Learning From All Operations
    • Past Safety Initiatives
    • Pilot Training and Competency
    • Special Reports
  • Industry Updates
  • The Foundation
    • About the Foundation
    • Founders
    • Mission
    • History
    • Leadership
    • Officers and Staff
    • Media/Communications
    • Aviation Award & Scholarship Programs
    • Work with Us
    • Join Us
  • Events
  • AeroSafety World
  • Toolkits & Resources
    • COVID-19 Crisis Resources
    • Fatigue Management
    • Flight Path Monitoring
    • Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPPRE)
    • Go-Around Project
    • Global Safety Assessment Project
    • Learning From All Operations
    • Past Safety Initiatives
    • Pilot Training and Competency
    • Special Reports
  • Contact Us
  • Members' Center
  • Login
  • Support Aviation Safety
Partners and Programs:
  • BARS
  • GSIP
  • SKYbrary
  • ASN

FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS

701 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 250,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Phone: +1 703 739 6700 Fax: +1 703 739 6708

  • Aviation Safety Experts
  • Industry Updates
  • Fatigue Crack Cited in BA 777 Uncontained Engine Failure, Fire

Accident/Incident Investigation

Fatigue Crack Cited in BA 777 Uncontained Engine Failure, Fire

The GE90-85BG11 engine had accumulated 11,459 total cycles before the failure.

by FSF Editorial Staff | June 21, 2018

uncontained engine failure

A fatigue crack in the engine of a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER was to blame for a Sept. 8, 2015, uncontained engine failure and fire during the airplane’s takeoff roll at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says.

The captain rejected the takeoff and stopped the 777 on the runway within seconds, according to an NTSB report, released Wednesday. The 157 passengers and 13 crewmembers evacuated using emergency slides.

Although the captain ordered passengers to evacuate from the right side of the airplane, the right engine ran for 43 seconds after he issued the order, and the resulting jet blast blew two emergency slides out of position. As a result, passengers and crew were able to use only two of eight doors to leave the airplane before smoke and flames affected the fuselage, the NTSB said.

“The NTSB found that the captain did not use his quick reference handbook to read and do checklist items,” the agency said. “It was only when a third pilot in the cockpit noticed instruments indicating the right engine was still running that the engine was shut down. Because the captain did not follow standard procedures, his call for the evacuation checklist and the shutdown of the right engine were delayed.”

The NTSB said its investigation revealed a fatigue crack in the high-pressure compressor stage 8 disk web of the General Electric GE90-85BG11 engine, which had accumulated 11,459 total cycles. The crack initiated after about 6,000 cycles, “much earlier than the engine’s manufacturer, GE predicted; the cause of the crack initiation could not be identified,” the NTSB said.

Because the disk web was not an area that was subject to a required inspection, the crack was not detected, the NTSB said, adding that after the accident, GE implemented inspection procedures to detect disk web cracks.

Share:

Print:

Key Safety Issues

  • Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
  • Loss of Control–In Flight (LOC-I)
  • Mechanical Issues
  • Runway Safety (approach and landing)
  • Sabotage/Intentional Acts
  • Midair Collisions (MAC)
  • Runway Safety (Conflicts)
  • Wildlife Issues
  • Fatigue
  • Cabin Safety
  • Emerging Safety Issues
    • Lithium Batteries
    • Safety Information Sharing and Protection
    • Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Related Content

In-depth Feature

Metal Fatigue Cited in Air France A380’s Uncontained Engine Failure

The final BEA report says ‘cold dwell’ fatigue phenomenon is widely misunderstood.

by Linda Werfelman

News, Mechanical Issues, Accident/Incident Investigation

Fatigue Crack Led to Propeller Separation

No one injured in March 2017 airliner incident.

by FSF Editorial Staff

News, Mechanical Issues, Accident/Incident Investigation, Safety Regulation

FAA, EASA Order More Frequent CFM56-7B Fan Blade Inspections

The new inspection interval has been set at every 1,600 engine cycles.

by FSF Editorial Staff

Read more articles

701 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 250, Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Phone: +1 703 739 6700 Fax: +1 703 739 6708

Flight Safety Foundation on Twitter

Amid major global #aviation shifts, how can the sector deal with competing demands while sustaining its good safety… https://t.co/59ADokHjht

February 4, 2023

Follow @flightsafety

Projects & Partners

  • Basic Aviation Risk Standard
  • Global Safety Information Project
  • SKYbrary
  • Aviation Safety Network
  • Donate
  • Advertise on our website
  • Sponsor & Exhibit at our Events
  • Work with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map
  • Privacy

© 2023 Flight Safety Foundation

Join our group on LinkedIn