Airbus engineers on site in Singapore have provided to investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau a description of the main damage to the Qantas A380 stricken by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine failure earlier this month.
"Damage is a single large penetration of both the droop nose No2 [leading edge section] and the wing topskin fixed topskin panels and D nose structure, which were simultaneously damaged after debris travelled through the lower bottom skin and exited at this point on the topskin. Damage to the internal structure at this location includes the drive rib 4 which is part of the leading edge structure (both inboard and outboard locations). Damage to the droop nose at this location cannot be clearly defined as yet.
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"The drive motor for the droop nose located between the inboard and outboard rib 4 of the leading edge has been badly damaged upon impact and seems to have been on the direct path of the trajectory through the wing.
"Further details of the internal damages will only be revealed after the removal of the droop nose and further access to the leading edge can be gained."
Airbus also recorded engine shrapnel impact damage to flap track fairings, the lower wing/fuselage fairing, and to the fuselage side in line with the damaged engine at about the level of the upper deck floor.
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Source: Flight International
