Initial investigations into the failure of a bearing on a new CFM56-7 powering a Maersk Air Boeing 737-700 show that the incident was a "one-off", says CFMInternational (CFMI).
The Maersk aircraft, delivered to the Danish operator in early March, suffered "a complete failure of the number four bearing" on a flight from Billund, Denmark, to Crete. The engine was shut down immediately and the 737 was forced to divert to Sofia, Bulgaria. It was stranded for several days awaiting a replacement engine, which was eventually delivered in a chartered Antonov An-124.
CFMI says that the incident, the first major engine-related event reported on a Next Generation 737 in service, is "a manufacturing issue".
The engine maker says: "There is no fleet issue with the -7. This is the only failure of its kind to take place." It adds that no fleet inspections have been ordered.
CFMI says that the fan blade failure experienced in late April on a CFM56-3C1 powering a Thai Airways International 737-400 was caused by foreign object damage. The fan blade, thought to have been damaged during the take-off run at Hat Yai, southern Thailand, failed at around 7,000ft (2,100m) and broke off close to the root, causing "considerable secondary damage to the adjoining blades".Source: Flight International
