Service difficulty report · Engine · Boeing 777222

Difficulty date
September 23, 2006
Submitted
October 3, 2006
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N210UA
Make and model
Boeing 777222
Aircraft serial
30216
Aircraft time
23,029 hours, 5,358 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW4077
Engine time
19,564 hours, 4,502 cycles
Part
Engine
Condition
Leaking
Location
Right
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
K, J
Precautionary procedure
E, A

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

RECEIVED LOW OIL PRESSURE MSG ON RIGHT ENGINE. OIL PRESSURE CONTINUED TO DROP. SHUT DOWN ENGINE. 1 HPT STAGE-2 BLADE FRACTURED AT AIRFOIL MID-SPAN. TRAILING EDGE COOLING HOLES PARTIALLY PLUGGED DUE TO INTERNAL SULFIDATION. THIS SULFIDATION CHOKES-OFF COOLING AIR FLOW WITHIN THE BLADE AIRFOIL, THEREBY OVERHEATING PARENT MATERIAL AND LEADING TO FRACTURE. 3 ADJACENT BLADES SUFFERED MECHANICAL FRACTURE FROM SULFIDATED BLADE. THIS CAUSED A LARGE UNBALANCE/VIBRATION THAT CRACKED AN EXTERNAL OIL LINE RESULTING IN THE SHUTDOWN. THE INTERNAL SULFIDATION IS RESULT OF TURBO-TIP CONTAMINATION DURING BLADE MANUFACTURE, OR REPAIR.