Service difficulty report · Engine · Boeing 777222

Difficulty date
January 2, 2009
Submitted
January 5, 2009
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N77UA
Make and model
Boeing 777222
Aircraft serial
26916
Aircraft time
54,927 hours, 10,376 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW4077
Engine time
47,967 hours, 9,583 cycles
Part
Engine
Part number
PW4077
Part serial
777008
Condition
Faulty
Location
Right
Part time
47,967 hours, 9,583 cycles
Stage of operation
IN
How discovered
9
Nature of condition
O
Precautionary procedure
K

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

What was found

PARAMETER SHIFT DETECTED BY ENGINE CONDITION MONITORING SUSPECT HPT 2ND BLADE SULFIDATION. REPLACED ENGINE. SHOP TEARDOWN DISCLOSED ONE STAGE-2 HP TURBINE (HPT) BLADE FRACTURED JUST BELOW THE MID-SPAN. FRACTURE WAS THE RESULT OF INTERNAL COOLING AIR PASSAGE SULFIDATION. THE SULFIDATION ARISES AS A RESULT OF CONTAMINATION FROM TURBO TIP COATING APPLIED AT BLADE REPAIR. PRATT & WHITNEY HAS REVISED THE REPAIR PROCEDURES TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION OF THE INTERNAL COOLING PASSAGES.