Cathay‌ Pacific A350 Engine Fire Incident: A Preliminary Report

An engine on a Cathay Pacific Airbus suddenly‌ caught fire during a flight on the 2nd of this month. The Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Agency issued a preliminary report saying that the‌ casing on the pipe connecting‌ one of the plane’s engines to the fuel nozzle had ​cracked, indicating‍ that ‌there had been a rupture⁣ and a fire.

The aircraft involved in the⁢ accident was an Airbus A350-1041. It was originally‍ scheduled to fly from Hong Kong to Zurich, Switzerland ⁤in the early morning of the 2nd of​ this month. There were 348 people on board, including 332 passengers and 16 crew members. Only 42 seconds after takeoff and at 34 feet above the ‍ground, ⁤the pilot noticed an “ENG FIRE” alarm on the No. 2 engine of the aircraft, immediately shut down the No. 2 ‍engine and released the fire extinguishing⁤ agent. The engine fire alarm​ was deactivated 59 seconds after the accident.

Fuel Pipe Broken and with Holes

The plane was scheduled to return to Hong Kong Airport. The pilot ⁣initially issued an emergency notification “MAYDAY” to Hong Kong air​ traffic control personnel, indicating a life-threatening emergency situation. It was later downgraded to “PAN”, indicating ⁣a non-immediate life-threatening ⁢emergency situation. After the plane began the process of jettisoning fuel, it landed safely⁣ approximately 1 hour and 16 minutes after takeoff. No one was injured ⁤in the incident.

Subsequent inspections revealed that the fuel hose sheathing attached to the fuel nozzle in the aircraft’s No. 2 ⁢engine was broken and there was an obvious hole in the hose. Black soot was also observed in the aft center engine ⁤compartment, indicating signs of fire, while scorch marks were also found on⁣ the bottoms of the two thrust reverser fairings. At the same time, the ⁢aircraft’s other five fuel hoses also showed signs of wear of the metal braid or collapse of the internal structure.

European Aviation Safety‍ Agency Issues⁢ Emergency Airworthiness Order for Airbus

The report states that fuel flow to the fuel nozzles may have leaked through the ruptured fuel line, which, combined with the presence‍ of ‍oxygen and heat sources, could have caused the fire to spread to areas adjacent to the aircraft. ⁤”If not detected and addressed​ promptly, this situation and its subsequent failures could escalate into a more serious engine fire, causing extensive damage to the aircraft,” the report states.

The Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Agency believes this serious incident⁢ highlights the potential risk of a ruptured fuel line⁤ leaking fuel and causing ⁤an engine fire. The agency issued a safety advisory report to the European Aviation Safety Agency the day after the accident, requiring engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce⁢ to develop ‌airworthiness information, including an⁢ inspection of the Trent XWB fuel line. The European Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency airworthiness directive on the 5th of this month, requiring inspections of some of the A350 fleet to identify and remove any fuel lines that may present potential problems.

After the crash, some Cathay Pacific planes were grounded for inspection and 24 flights were cancelled.