Jet engine makers tackle jumbo-sized woes

A NIGHTMARISH few weeks for Airbus and Rolls Royce continued yesterday when a Qantas A380 diverted to Sydney with an oil leak in its second engine.

Flight QF93 was an hour into the 14-hour journey from Melbourne to Los Angeles when the captain became aware of a problem with the Trent 900 engine.

Passengers were asked to move aside so the captain could look at the engine through the window of the 484-seat super jumbo.

The decision was then made to dump fuel and land in Sydney so engineers could inspect the aircraft.

Almost two hours later, the flight resumed and was due into LA four hours after its original arrival time. Qantas spokesman Stephen Moynihan thanked passengers for their patience.

“Safety is always our first priority,” said Mr Moynihan.

It is the fourth engine-related incident in just over a month for Australian-bound or departing Airbus aircraft.

On May 20, another Qantas A380 was forced to turn back to Los Angeles two hours into a flight to Melbourne when an engine began overheating and losing power.

Passengers reported seeing flames but Qantas insisted the engine did not catch fire and was simply “sparking”. The Rolls Royce engine was replaced at LAX and the aircraft back in service within a week.

On June 11 in Sydney, a China Eastern Airlines’ A330 suffered a gaping tear in the left engine cowling as it took off and the flight returned to the airport.

Then last Sunday, an AirAsia X A330 began shaking severely two hours after leaving Perth, as a result of a problem with the Trent 772 engine.