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This is NOT good

Very sad news, Prayers for the loved ones of the person who's life was claimed by this tragedy, as well as for those who were injured. IMO, Southwest is a very good airline, and folks should continue to trust them for their travel needs.
I can't help but wonder what caused that engine to explode like it did. All to often I read articles about turbine blades being defective and coming apart inside the engine. But did a bird fly into the fan blades, I wonder...?
Reckon the investigation will eventually produce a cause, which resulted in the engine failure, given time.

EDIT: I read on FOX News that the engine failure was caused by a fan blade, but more importantly... it was the effort and ability of the pilot who managed the crippled plane to a safe landing. She formerly flew for the US NAVY, and is being hailed as a hero.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/04/1...o-landed-damaged-southwest-flight-report.html

BB686:US-flag:
 
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Sad event, -but does happen. Maybe THE WORST episode, though a CF6 engine, was the united DC-10 (United Airlines Flight 232 in 1989) that had to be crash landed with virtually no control available. This was a disc fracture, not a blade failure. many articles on the internet about it.
 
I recall being in Sioux City, IA in 1991 on lead work and waiting in the terminal for my outgoing flight when I noted a pile of aircraft wreckage next to a hangar, located across the ramp, at the airport. The paint on some of the parts looked familiar. One of the staff confirmed it was the leftovers from that flight, still waiting to be removed as junk.
 
From what I have read, there is a protection on the outside of the engine so if a fan blade separates from the engine, the protection should stop it from damaging the aircraft. On a picture of the engine involved I could see that protection. The damage is almost at the front of the engine more then on the side where the main fan is. I think it's something more serious that metal fatigue in a fan blade of the engine.
 
I was really sad to hear a woman had lost her life in this freak accident. The last time I was on an airliner, I was sitting looking out the window like I always do, and actually wondered about the integrity of the windows, and also noted the small size. Not worrying about either, but just observing and wondering.

It is really sad, and I couldn't believe it when I heard this news.
 
SIAI S81 said:
From what I have read, there is a protection on the outside of the engine so if a fan blade separates from the engine, the protection should stop it from damaging the aircraft. On a picture of the engine involved I could see that protection. The damage is almost at the front of the engine more then on the side where the main fan is. I think it's something more serious that metal fatigue in a fan blade of the engine.
Click to expand...

No. The inlet cowl, the bit with the shiny lip, is not designed to withstand a blade separation. The disturbed airflow shockwave comes forwards from the fan and isn't contained by the cowl. Same as what happens when an engine has a major surge event. You have to remember that for each revolution the fan is moving and compressing some 2 tons of air (rough figure), and is generally turning @ 30,000 rpm, if the engine suddenly stops, all that air has to go somewhere. Even the air that goes down the bypass is compressed slightly to add thrust via the convergent/divergent shape of bypass duct and or fan exit vanes.

Ill see if I have a picture somewhere in my type training notes.

Ttfn

Pete
 
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Both compressor sections and turbine sections have containment protection schemes, but depends on the engine design and philosophy when designed. Military engines I am familiar with had turbine shrouds, but not the compressor sections, since they were only either twin spool or low bypass. obviously the hi-bypass designs seem to at least consider the high inertia large fan section, but no guarantees obviously.
 
Motormouse said:
No. The inlet cowl, the bit with the shiny lip, is not designed to withstand a blade separation. The disturbed airflow shockwave comes forwards from the fan and isn't contained by the cowl. Same as what happens when an engine has a major surge event. You have to remember that for each revolution the fan is moving and compressing some 2 tons of air (rough figure), and is generally turning @ 30,000 rpm, if the engine suddenly stops, all that air has to go somewhere. Even the air that goes down the bypass is compressed slightly to add thrust via the convergent/divergent shape of bypass duct and or fan exit vanes.

Ill see if I have a picture somewhere in my type training notes.

Ttfn

Pete
Click to expand...

That's really interesting, I really would like to see that picture if you can find it.
 
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