"Jet engine disintegrates on Australian runway"

Wednesday, January 31, 2001

Fan blade blamed for jet engine blast
The Australian


A BROKEN fan blade may have caused a jet engine explosion which left
passengers fearing for their lives in a near-catastrophe at Melbourne
Airport.

Barry Sargant, of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, said today initial
examinations indicated a fan blade may have failed and passed through into
the engine causing mechanical damage.

Passengers have told of their terror after the engine of the giant Boeing
777-300 disintegrated on take-off.

The airport's main runway was strewn with debris after the drama last night.

Parts of the engine of the Emirates airliner, carrying 213 passengers,
disintegrated as it accelerated down the runway and was a few seconds from
leaving the ground.

The Emirates airliner, carrying a full load of fuel, was travelling at 50
knots (70kmh) when the pilot aborted the take-off after smoke started
pouring from one of its two engines.

Passengers today told how they feared for their lives when smoke filled the
cabin, and said they saw flames shoot out of the engine as it moved along
the runway.

Welsh couple Tony and Margaret Hughes told the Herald Sun they heard a loud
explosion.

"I thought to myself 'Oh my god, that's it'," Mr Hughes said.

"I was thinking 'Stop the plane, I want to get off'."

Mrs Hughes said she first thought a tyre had burst.

"We heard a bang, a very loud shudder," she said.

"We knew straight away that something was wrong. We were very frightened but
we just didn't know how serious it was.

"The plane was just starting to accelerate. We didn't actually take off but
it was getting ready to do that," she said.

Muriel Leadbeater, of Manchester in England, said she was shaken for several
hours after the terrifying ordeal.

"It frightened us all to death," she said. "The plane was swerving from side
to side and I just didn't know what was going on."

Her daughter, Cynthia Lees, said the drama brought home the risk of air
travel.

"It was quite frightening. There aren't too many emergencies on planes, so
you sort of think that nothing can happen," she said.

British passenger Joanne Hume told Channel Nine she panicked as the aircraft
came to a halt.

"The flames were still coming out of the aircraft. It was an absolutely
terrifying experience," Ms Hume said.

The Emirates airlines flight EK69 bound for Singapore pulled up about a
third of the way down the north-south runway as its engine's rotors
splintered and debris spewed over the ground.

Despite reports of sparks flying from the engine, the airline said there was
no fire.

Airport fire crews rushed to the main north-south runway as the pilot
reported the emergency.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority confirmed the incident had closed the
runway to all incoming flights, which had to be diverted on to the smaller
east-west runway.

The Boeing 777-300, one of the largest passenger aircraft flying, sat on the
Tarmac for about 15 minutes until it slowly taxied back to the main
terminal.

Passengers were shaken but there were no reports of injury, according to
Melbourne Airport management.

"It was starting its take-off, the pilot had throttled up, when he noticed
the problem," said the airport's corporate affairs manager Geoffrey
Conaghan.

Airport staff and fire crews worked for more than two hours to clear the
north-south runway while other flights were diverted to the other strip.

An incoming flight from Singapore had to circle the airport for more than 30
minutes while the other runway was prepared.

Early this morning Emirates confirmed the flight crew had aborted the
take-off due to the engine problem.

"The problem with the engine, a Rolls Royce Trent 800 series, is currently
being investigated by Emirates and Rolls Royce officials," an airline
statement said.

The airline said the Boeing's fire-warning system was not activated.

"There were, however, momentary sparks and some smoke from the engine which
may have been interpreted as a fire by some passengers," the statement said.

Passengers were assisted back at the airport terminal by Emirates staff as
the damaged plane was unloaded and inspected by airline engineers.

Mr Sargant said Emirates was now expected to assist ATSB with an
investigation into the cause of the incident.

Officers will examine the flight data recorder and engine manufacturers
Rolls Royce will inspect the engine.

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