Description

On 4 November 2010, a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 powered Airbus A380-800 being operated by Qantas Airways on a scheduled passenger flight from Singapore to Sydney Australia was passing 7000 feet in the climb in day VMC when an uncontained failure of the No 2 engine occurred. The climb was stopped and a ‘PAN’ call was made to ATC and preparations for a return to Singapore initiated whilst the flight crew collectively responded to the engine failure and to multiple secondary effects. Initially, in order to accomplish the minimum necessary actions, a holding pattern in the vicinity of the airport was flown. A challenging but uneventful approach and landing were subsequently accomplished and the aircraft was stopped on the runway. It then became apparent that the No. 1 engine could not be shut down which delayed the precautionary disembarkation of the passengers using stairs brought to the right hand side of the aircraft. None of the 469 occupants were injured but some of the debris which had fallen from the aircraft at the time of the engine failure caused minor injuries to two people on the ground. There was obvious evidence of extensive damage to the failed engine and lesser damage to the adjacent airframe structure.