Service difficulty report · Turbine Blades · Boeing 767322

Difficulty date
August 25, 2008
Submitted
August 28, 2008
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N665UA
Make and model
Boeing 767322
Aircraft serial
29237
Aircraft time
35,664 hours, 10,050 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW4056
Engine time
34,407 hours, 9,653 cycles
Part
Turbine Blades
Condition
Failed
Location
Lt Engine
Stage of operation
NR
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
J
Precautionary procedure
O

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

What was found

LEFT ENGINE SURGE DET STATUS MSG. FOUND METAL IN THE TAILPIPE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT PRIOR TO FURTHER FLIGHT. SHOP TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SUFFERED AN HP TURBINE STAGE-2 BLADE UNDER PLATFORM STRESS CORROSION (SCC) FAILURE. ONE BLADE FRACTURED AT THE PLATFORM, WITH A PORTION OF THE PLATFORM MISSING. THIS CAUSED FAILURE OF THREE ADJACENT BLADES. MANUFACTURER HAS INTRODUCED A NEW MATERIAL BLADE WITH AN IMPROVED UNDER PLATFORM COATING TO PRECLUDE SCC FAILURES.