Summary
On 5 November 2010, a Boeing Company 747-438 aircraft, registered VH-OJD departed Changi Airport, Singapore on a scheduled flight to Sydney, New South Wales. When the aircraft was climbing through 2,000 ft, a loud bang was heard accompanied with aircraft yaw and vibration. The crew shut down the number one engine, declared a PAN and received approval from air traffic control for a return to Singapore. The crew then jettisoned fuel for about forty minutes. Emergency services were in attendance when the aircraft landed safely a short time later.
A subsequent examination confirmed that the engine had sustained serious damage as the result of a compressor blade release from the stage 1 high pressure compressor (HPC 1). The engine was replaced, and the aircraft returned to service.
The aircraft operator is continuing to bring their RB211-524G engines to the latest modification status at engine shop visits. However, should the rate of engine failures increase significantly a review of current modification policy will be undertaken.
Occurrence summary
| Investigation number | AO-2010-090 |
|---|---|
| Occurrence date | 05/11/2010 |
| Location | near Changi Airport, Singapore |
| State | International |
| Report release date | 16/05/2011 |
| Report status | Final |
| Investigation level | Short |
| Investigation type | Occurrence Investigation |
| Investigation status | Completed |
| Mode of transport | Aviation |
| Aviation occurrence category | Engine failure or malfunction |
| Occurrence class | Incident |
| Highest injury level | None |
Aircraft details
| Manufacturer | The Boeing Company |
|---|---|
| Model | 747 |
| Registration | VH-OJD |
| Serial number | 24481 |
| Sector | Jet |
| Operation type | Air Transport High Capacity |
| Departure point | Singapore |
| Destination | Sydney, NSW |