2024 09 02 190948
Cathay Pacific is inspecting its Airbus A350 fleet after discovering a problem with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. An incident on a flight from Hong Kong to Zurich experienced an engine failure and returned to the Hong Kong airport after dumping fuel.
The carrier indicated that it identified a “component failure” on the Rolls Royce Trent XWB engine on the subject aircraft as well as “a number of the same engine components that need to be replaced” after initial inspections were completed. The inspections are now complete, but a number of flights have been cancelled as the carrier performs maintenance on the engines. Flight disruptions are likely over the next two to three days as engines complete the maintenance procedure to replace the affected parts with new parts.
The industry rumor mill indicates that the part in question is a fuel nozzle, which directs fuel within the engine. While this is viewed as less serious than a rotating blisk or blade, the discovery of potential problems on multiple aircraft likely indicates a potentially widespread problem. Both Airbus and Rolls-Royce are cooperating with regulatory authorities, and Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority could issue an airworthiness directive that could likely result in inspections of the worldwide Airbus A350 fleet.
With the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine experiencing maintenance issues that have grounded a number of aircraft, airlines are hopeful that this situation will not duplicate the GTF experience. Airlines are hopeful this will not require a fleet grounding nor a protracted parts shortage from Rolls Royce.
The Bottom Line
As new technology engines continue to push the frontier of technology, maintenance issues are more likely to occur. New technology programs such as the Trent XWB, GTF, or LEAP are likely to result in teething problems as new technologies gain maturity. Hopefully, this glitch will be minor and an easy fix for impacted airlines.
The Trent XWB has already experienced teething problems with excess component wear, particularly in desert environments such as those experienced by Emirates and other Middle-Eastern customers. While those have been resolved, this is a new problem that has emerged with a component part.
Stay tuned, as it is likely that further investigations of the Trent XWB will be ordered internationally within a short period of time. Should the problem be more widespread, a Rolls Royce service bulletin is likely to be issued quickly, and followed by regulatory mandates shortly thereafter.
