AAIA: Cathay Airbus defects could cause major damage

The engine defect in the Airbus A350 plane that led to the cancellation of dozens of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways' flights in early September could have escalated into "extensive damage," public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong reported Thursday, citing a probe released by Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA). Cathay briefly grounded its fleet of A350s for inspections and repairs after a Zurich-bound plane was forced to turn back to Hong Kong on Sept, and found that components on 15 of the 48-plane fleet of A350s, powered by engines from the British manufacturer Rolls-Royce, had to be replaced. Investigators said a post-flight examination found a "discernible hole in the (fuel) hose," "black soot observed on the aft section of the core engine, indicating signs of a fire" as well as burn marks. "If not promptly detected and addressed, this situation could escalate into a more serious engine fire, potentially causing extensive damage to the aircraft," the AAIA's preliminary report said. In addition, AAIA made a recommendation to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to require Rolls-Royce to "develop continuing airworthiness information, including but not limited to, inspection requirements of the secondary fuel manifold hoses" of the engines in question. Cathay's incident prompted other airlines in Asia to carry out similar checks on their A350-900 and A350-1000 models, which are both powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines. The EASA also mandated inspections on A350-1000s, of which there are 86 such planes in service worldwide. Qatar Airways is the biggest operator of the 1000 version, with 24 in its fleet, followed by Cathay Pacific and British Airways, which both operate 18. Source: Kuwait News Agency