Sixteen Month Hiatus Required For Repairs

Sixteen months after an uncontained engine failure lead to an emergency landing in Singapore, Qantas Airlines' A380 named Nancy Bird-Walton returned to Kingford Smith Airport in Sydney. The incident in December 2010 led to the grounding of Qantas' entire A380 fleet while emergency inspections were made. The repairs made to the aircraft totaled $144 million and required replacement of all four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, in addition to hydraulic system and wing skin repairs.

The cause of the engine failure was traced to a manufacturing defect which resulted in a oil leak in the Trent engine's turbine section. The leak caused an engine fire and subsequent uncontained failure (explosion) sending shrapnel through the wing which severed hydraulic lines making aircraft control difficult. As a precaution all four engines were replaced, in addition to the other necessary airframe repairs.
 
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce flew on the aircraft on its return from Singapore, as were the two pilots from the accident flight. Captain Richard de Crespigny and Captain Dave Evans were accompanied by 16 of the 22 cabin crew from the original flight.  (Image provided by ATSB)

FMI: www.qantas.com