General Electric confirms it has sent a technical representative to Air Canada to support the investigation of an in-flight shut-down of a GE90-115B powering a Boeing 777-300ER.
The International Lease Finance (ILFC)-owned aircraft, with serial number 35298 and registration C-FITW, turned back after an explosive engine failure shortly after take-off from Toronto Pearson International Airport on 28 May.
The GE90-115B reportedly shed parts around the airport grounds. An air traffic controller informed the Air Canada flight crew during the incident that local police had found part of an engine cowling nearby.
The crew of Flight 001, which was en route to Tokyo-Narita airport, circled around the airport and dumped fuel before landing with one engine powering the aircraft.
The incident marked a rare in-flight shutdown for the GE90 series. GE reports that the GE90 series has accumulated an in-flight shut-down rate of 0.002 over a 15-year service life.
The 777-300ER involved in the incident entered service five years ago, according to the FlightglobalAscend database. The aircraft had accumulated 23,631 flight hours with 2,864 cycles.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
