Rolls-Royce says that the catastrophic Trent 800 engine failure on an Emirates Airlines Boeing 777-200 leaving Dubai on 16 September (Flight International, 24-30 September) was caused by fatigue failure of a first-stage high-pressure compressor (HPC1) blade.
The company claims that it was aware of the problem with the HPC1 blades on the Trent 877 variant, and says that "-clearly it was a fatigue problem" with the blades, which are of a "different shape and manufacturing process" to the newer blades used on the Trent 892. The replacement blade is believed to have a different surface finish.
According to R-R, engines on eleven in-service Boeing 777s which are still flying with Emirates, Cathay Pacific Airways and Thai Airways International will be "reworked", with the blades being replaced with Trent 892 ones, by the end of October.
Source: Flight International
