View Full Version : LAX Yesterday
This happened to an AA 767 last Friday. The disc went through the
aircraft into the OTHER engine.
I'm not sure whether you will have heard about this as it appears
to have been hushed up over the weekend. On Friday during a ground
run at LAX, GE CF6 in the number one position let go on an American
Airlines 767. Two taxiways were closed while bits of disc were
retrieved.
Attached are some photos, one of which shows half a
disc sticking out of an engine. In fact, the disc belongs to the
other engine - it passed through the centre wing box and embedded
itself. The rear fuselage and port inboard flaps were toasted as
combustor exit gases escaped and hit the airframe, which has to
have been written off.
Interestingly, photos of it were uploaded onto various websites on
Friday evening. As of this morning almost all of them have gone,
including any of the aircraft as a whole. This obviously has some
pretty serious implications for twin-engined aircraft.
Sequence of pics make more sense if you start at the end and work
backwards.
henk4
06-09-2006, 09:25 AM
that could be a case of very sloppy maintenance... I presume when this had happened in full flight the disc might have flown elsewhere, but the surely through the hull. Were there any passengers hit? are did the disc go through the freight compartment below the flight deck?
F1_Master
06-09-2006, 09:47 AM
From what I'm seeing, it looks like it cause a small explosion, too? The plane seems pretty burnt.
Now excuse me for my question, but what is this disc?
nopassn
06-09-2006, 10:53 AM
From what I'm seeing, it looks like it cause a small explosion, too? The plane seems pretty burnt.
Now excuse me for my question, but what is this disc?
http://travel.howstuffworks.com/turbine5.htm
and/or
http://travel.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=turbine.htm&url=http://www.ueet.nasa.gov/Engines101.html
I would think it was/is either a compression disc or a turbine disc that let go... as it looks to have come out of the center part of the engine...
KonaGreen
06-09-2006, 11:45 AM
I think it's part of the Core, in the compressor section.
@ henk, the plane was on the ground, undergoing maintenance.
henk4
06-09-2006, 11:47 AM
I think it's part of the Core, in the compressor section.
@ henk, the plane was on the ground, undergoing maintenance.
good to hear that there were no casualties then. Were they testing the engine (after or before repairs?)
RacingManiac
06-09-2006, 12:06 PM
Its the disc that carries the blades for the compressor I think.....
KonaGreen
06-09-2006, 12:22 PM
Here's a thread from Airliners.net on the whols situation. It's where I got my info from:
http://www.airliners.net/discussions/tech_ops/read.main/155857/
NSXType-R
06-09-2006, 04:51 PM
IMO it looks more like an industrial saw than anything else. My theory is that someone was cutting some concrete on the runway that was improperly attached and it flew out, hitting the engine of this aircraft.
It could just be simply debris on the runway that got kicked up.
KonaGreen
06-09-2006, 09:11 PM
NSX...
Are you on something nutty?
F1_Master
06-09-2006, 10:43 PM
Here's a thread from Airliners.net on the whols situation. It's where I got my info from:
http://www.airliners.net/discussions/tech_ops/read.main/155857/
Ok, thanks for that link. I'm lost when it comes to Plane technology.:o
drakkie
06-10-2006, 12:06 AM
From my point of view:
-a micro crack(- .01 micrometer) in the part got bigger
-the crack couldnt handle the stress
-it broke
-parts shot out damaging the pod,engine internals and fuel lines
-sparks from the impacts lit the escaping high-pressured fuel
The_Othr_Canuck
06-10-2006, 03:07 AM
From my point of view:
-a micro crack(- .01 micrometer) in the part got bigger
-the crack couldnt handle the stress
-it broke
-parts shot out damaging the pod,engine internals and fuel lines
-sparks from the impacts lit the escaping high-pressured fuel
Yeah that's what I was kinda thinking, it's kind of scary thinking about these things, especially if you are going on a plane soon ...
Egg Nog
06-10-2006, 03:11 AM
IMO it looks more like an industrial saw than anything else. My theory is that someone was cutting some concrete on the runway that was improperly attached and it flew out, hitting the engine of this aircraft.
It could just be simply debris on the runway that got kicked up.
Um, no.
KonaGreen
06-10-2006, 05:56 PM
From what I gathered on Airlines.net the maintenance crew had some widget disconnected, this allowed the engine to over-rev somethin' fierce, and the compressor blew apart.
LotusLocost
06-11-2006, 11:25 AM
Yeah that's what I was kinda thinking, it's kind of scary thinking about these things, especially if you are going on a plane soon ...
lol..
I'm going on a five houre trip in a plane from norway to cyprus tomorrow:o
So much for that vacation:rolleyes: the plane will probably blow to pieces in the end of the runway:eek: .....
no......
not rly:p