Procedure To Be Carried Out Within Two Flight Cycles

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued a directive to Qantas to conduct a further inspection of the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines on its A380 aircraft. This direction requires Qantas to inspect an oil filler tube that feeds oil to the engine's high pressure/intermediate pressure bearing structure. The oil filler tube inspection must be carried out within two flight cycles.

Under the direction, Qantas is required to conduct the inspections in accordance with detailed technical information contained in a service bulletin issued by the manufacturer Rolls-Royce this week. Inspections will be undertaken using specialist equipment known as a borescope, which is inserted into the oil tube and provides a view of the condition of the wall of the tube.

CASA says Qantas engineers will be looking for any sign of the wall of the tube being out of tolerance and reduced in thickness, which could cause the tube to crack and leak oil. Evidence of a problem with the oil tube has been found during the investigation into the Qantas A380 engine failure near Singapore on 4 November 2010.

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The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has identified the condition of the tube as a safety issue and issued a safety recommendation to Rolls-Royce.

CASA says it continues to liaise closely with Qantas, the European Aviation Safety Agency, Rolls-Royce, Airbus and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. In monitoring developments CASA will take any further action that may be necessary in the interests of safety.

FMI: www.casa.gov.au