HONG KONG- Europe’s aviation regulator, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), has identified a potential maintenance-related problem as the cause of a recent engine fire on a Cathay Pacific (CX) Airbus A350.
The incident, which occurred on September 2, involved a Zurich-bound A350-1000 aircraft.
Cathay Pacific A350 Issues
EASA issued a directive earlier this month requiring airlines to conduct visual inspections on Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engines.
The agency has now revealed that subsequent inspections have uncovered a specific cleaning process used during engine refurbishment that may lead to fuel manifold main fuel hose degradation.
Hong Kong investigators confirmed the discovery of a hole in a fuel hose, which resulted in leaking fuel igniting in one of the Rolls-Royce engines. This forced the Cathay Pacific flight to return to its departure point. No injuries were reported during the incident.
The initial investigation report indicates a comprehensive examination covering design, production, installation, and maintenance aspects. Investigators plan to seek additional information from manufacturers and maintenance facilities.
EASA has expanded its earlier directive to include all A350 models that have undergone a certain number of maintenance visits. However, the agency has downgraded the measure from the “emergency” category, suggesting a reduced immediate safety risk.
Industry analysts predict that the required visual checks and part measurements will not significantly impact airlines’ time or resources.
The Hong Kong authority remains responsible for the ongoing detailed analysis of the incident. Their investigation will provide further insights into the root cause and potential preventive measures for future occurrences.
Impact on Operations
The Cathay Pacific incident resulted in 90 flight cancellations, highlighting the potential impact of such technical issues on airline operations and passenger travel.
Cathay Pacific identified 15 A350 aircraft requiring fuel line replacement.
Cirium data shows that 87 A350-1000 passenger planes currently use the Trent XWB-97 engine. Qatar Airways (QR) operates 24, Cathay Pacific 18, and British Airways (BA) 17.
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