Aircraft Industry: Airbus Blowout Traced to Rolls-Royce Engine Oil Fire

An engine explosion on an Airbus SAS A380 operated by Qantas Airways Ltd. was probably caused by an oil fire in one of the plane’s four Rolls-Royce Group Plc Trent 900 turbines, the European Aviation Safety Agency said.

The fire may have caused the disintegration of the engine’s intermediate pressure turbine disc, according to an emergency airworthiness directive published last night by EASA instructing operators to check for “abnormal oil leakage” in all Trent 900s.

“This condition, if not detected, could ultimately result in uncontained engine failure, potentially leading to damage to the aeroplane and hazards to persons or property on the ground,” EASA said in the directive. The discovery of any discrepancy should “prohibit further engine operation,” the regulator said.

For more: Airbus Blowout Traced to Rolls-Royce Engine Oil Fire - Bloomberg