The NTSB amendment also said that the fan blade that failed in the Boeing 777’s engine had recently received close inspection for wear and tear in 2016 and was less than half the requirement for a second inspection.
NTSB checks usually take a year or more to complete. Seven pages The report was released on Friday No conclusion was reached as to the cause of the incident, nor did it suggest further steps to be taken by the Federal Aviation Administration, aircraft operators or the engine manufacturer.
“A loud bang was recorded on the cockpit and voice recorder immediately after the throttle was moved,” the report said.
Travis Luke, a passenger on Flight 328, said he heard a boom just 20 minutes after takeoff.
The flight data recorder indicated that “the engine had an uncontrolled shutdown and the engine fire warning light was activated immediately,” the report said.
The pilots took action to fight the fire, and decided they would not throw fuel to lighten the plane before landing. They concluded that “the severity of excessive weight loss is not significant enough to outweigh other factors.”
The report said that in the event of a fire, a valve that cut off the flow of fuel into the engine was properly shut off, saying “there is no evidence of a fire filled with fuel.” The report cites damage to “fuel, oil and hydraulic lines”.
The engine exploded in flames after landing at the airport but was “quickly contained” by firefighters, the report said.
Failed part inspected in 2016
The NTSB report on Friday said the failed fan blades were inspected in both 2014 and 2016 using specialized thermal acoustic imaging technology. The observation looks for small cracks or signs of metal fatigue that may not be visible to the naked eye.
Following the 2018 engine incident in different aircraft, the 2016 data was re-analyzed, NTSB said.
The report notes that when the fan blade failed last month, it was less than half the need for another inspection – CNN noted in detail. It ran 2,979 cycles, roughly a step from how often the engine turned on and off. Observation was required after 6,500 cycles.
CNN In the days following the February incident, engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney recommended that the interval for inspection be reduced to just 1000 cycles, according to a service bulletin received by. The FAA issued an emergency directive requiring inspection of the fan blades on the engine before flying again.
The inspection interval for this engine series has been a concern for federal regulators. CNN previously reported that the FAA review board met a few days before the February engine failure to consider whether more routine inspections were needed.
Following the engine failure, Boeing has recommended a halt to the use of the 7777, which has Pratt and Whit’s 000,000 engines, and United Airlines has already pulled out of its 7777 following the incident. Both the FAA and the NTSB are investigating.
CNN aviation analysts said at the time that such engines were more likely to fail at takeoff when the aircraft needed more power than engines.
“If there’s a flaw hidden inside – between all the fans and turbines that move with so much power and so much pressure and heat difference – if there’s a flaw, you’ll find out about it.” Said aviation analyst Miles O’Brien.
‘Let’s Just Pray’
The flight was bound for Honolulu when passengers reported hearing a loud boom. Approximately 240 people were aboard, and some peeked out of their windows to see the sparking flames of an open engine as the wreckage of the plane fell.
“We looked at each other, my wife and I held hands, and just wished our kids would see us again,” Bob Brown told CNN-affiliated KCNC.
Brenda Doh was traveling with her children when smoke was seen outside the window.
Once the plane returned safely to the ground, the passengers jumped out before exiting the plane. And Luke had a chance to calm his nerves before getting ready for the rest of his journey.
“We’re having a cocktail,” he told CNN at the time. “And, yes, we will try again. We will try again. The obstacles are with us this time.”
CNN’s Eric Levenson, Pete Munten and Amir Vera contributed to the report.
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