ATSB investigators have finished collecting data on the November 2010 explosion of a Qantas A380 engine and have moved on to analysis and writing a draft report on the incident.
Findings from the report are not likely to be released to the public until the second half of the year following a 60 day consultation period with stakeholders, the safety agency said.
In an update released today, the ATSB said it was working with engine maker Rolls-Royce to identify “missed opportunities” that could have caught problems with an oil feed pipe blamed for the uncontained explosion of the Trent 900 engine.
In its own statement, Rolls-Royce said it was “working closely with the ATSB to make sure that all the issues raised in their report are effectively addressed. Each time an incident happens the aviation industry learns lessons.”
The aircraft damaged in the incident, the Nancy-Bird Walton, is expected to return to Qantas service in March after $135 million in repairs. The engine uncontained failure punctured fuel tanks, severed wiring and cut hydraulic lines. All four of the aircraft’s engines have been replaced.
The ATSB said it had not found any “significant or critical” safety issues in its examination of airframe and systems damage resulting from the engine explosion. The plane was able to return safely to Singapore following the explosion; no one was injured.
Qantas recently took delivery of its 11th and 12th A380s.
