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The ATSB has lauded a Qantas flight crew who safely landed their 737-800 back at Sydney Airport following an engine failure in late 2024.
Flight QF520 to Brisbane on 8 November 2024, operated by VH-VYH, was forced to return to Sydney after a loud bang was heard from the right engine during the take-off roll. According to investigators, the failure occurred after the aircraft had already reached V1 decision speed and could not abort.
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The ATSB said all parties involved in the emergency – the flight and cabin crew, ARFFS, and air traffic controllers – worked together effectively to ensure a safe and uneventful return to Sydney for the aircraft, and the 181 people on board.
“This engine failure occurred at the worst possible moment during a critical phase of flight. The flight crew responded quickly and decisively, continuing the take-off, declaring an emergency, and conducting relevant checklists while planning a return to Sydney,” chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
“This incident provides a positive example of effective training and procedures, highlighting their importance within the aviation safety framework.
“In particular, faced with an emergency during a critical phase of flight, the flight crew responded decisively and appropriately in accordance with their training and procedures.”
The flight and cabin crew had an off-duty pilot photograph the engine and wing from the cabin, with no visible damage to the engine exterior or wing identified. About 30 minutes after taking off from runway 34R, the flight crew performed a single-engine landing on runway 34L.
After the engine was externally assessed for fire risk by Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service (ARFFS) personnel, the flight crew taxied back to the gate, where passengers were disembarked safely.
ARFFS had also responded to a grass fire that ignited alongside runway 34R from hot fragments expelled from the rear of the engine when the failure occurred.
The ATSB’s investigation noted that the engine failed due to one of its high-pressure turbine blades separating from the disc due to a fatigue crack.
The failure occurred 13 days before the engine was scheduled for removal, as it was approaching the threshold recommended by the manufacturer, CFM International.
Following this incident, CFM International analysed the CFM56-7B engine fleet and found that although several previous engine failures had been due to this type of fatigue cracking, the specific high-pressure turbine blade configuration of this engine still met internal reliability targets and relevant regulatory guidelines.
In addition, the final report noted that newer high-pressure turbine blade configurations have been introduced, with improved failure rates.
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