The Agency issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) following the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine related incident involving a Qantas Airbus A380 operating a flight from Singapore to Sydney on November 4, 2010.
The investigation led by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Technical experts from Rolls-Royce, Airbus and EASA are providing their support to the investigators in order to determine the cause of the incident.
Analysis of the preliminary elements from the incident investigation shows that an oil fire in the high pressure and intermediate pressure structure cavity of the engine may have caused the failure of the Intermediate Pressure Turbine disc. Pending conclusion of the incident investigation, and following a comprehensive one-time inspection programme developed by the engine manufacturer and now completed for all engines involved, the EASA directive makes it mandatory for airlines operating Airbus A380 aircraft equipped with Trent 900 engines to perform repetitive inspections, a first one within a maximum of 10 flights, then after every 20 flights. If any discrepancy is found following these inspections, further engine operation shall be prohibited.
EASA certified the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine in October 2004.
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