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.