Service difficulty report · Blade · Boeing 777222

Difficulty date
September 12, 2007
Submitted
September 15, 2007
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N773UA
Make and model
Boeing 777222
Aircraft serial
26929
Aircraft time
48,653 hours, 10,099 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW4077
Engine time
42,521 hours, 8,416 cycles
Part
Blade
Condition
Failed
Location
Rt Engine
Stage of operation
CL
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
Y
Precautionary procedure
A

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

What was found

RTFL DUE TO RIGHT ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE REPLACED. SHOP TEARDOWN REVEALED AN HPT STAGE-1 BLADE FAILED AT THE ROOT. THE REMAINDER OF THE TURBINE SUFFERED HEAVY RESULTANT DAMAGE. STRESS CORROSION CRACKING, A KNOWN FAILURE MODE, IS SUSPECTED, BUT COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE BLADE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. A NEW BLADE WITH IMPROVED UNDER PLATFORM COATING IS BEING INCORPORATED AT SHOP VISIT. UA'S FLEET IS 50% MODIFIED. THE FLD BLADE WAS NOT CONTAINED IN ONE OF THE MODIFIED ENGINES.