Melbourne: Superjumbo A380, world's flying wonder has manufacturing defects in its Trent engines that could lead to "catastrophic engine failures" in flight, Australian Flight Safety officials have warned.
The officials have recommended that the airlines who are flying the superjumbos that use Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines to carry out more checks as flaws could cause engine failures.
As the safety officials pinpointed manufacturing defects in the engines, the country's airline Qantas said today it had begun court proceedings to pursue legal action against Rolls-Royce if necessary. Qantas had "filed a statement of claim and been granted an injunction by the Federal Court of Australia which will ensure that the company can pursue legal action against Rolls-Royce in Australia, particularly under the Trade Practices Act, if a commercial settlement is not possible," a company statement said.
The alarm over the Rolls-Royce engines could hit other carriers. Three other airlines, Singapore airlines, Germany's Lufthansa and the Gulf based Emirates fly a total of 20 such wide bodied passenger jets.
Qantas had grounded six A380s for more than three weeks after a mid-air blowout over Singapore which sent heavy engine parts flying off just after take off on November 4, in the most serious safety problem for the world's largest and newest jetliner.
Early investigations have blamed the blowout on a oil leak and in new investigations, the safety officials said a section of an oil tube that connects the high pressure and intermediate pressure bearing structures of the engine was the danger area.
"The problem relates to the potential for misaligned oil pipe counter boring, which could lead to fatigue cracking, oil leakage and potential engine failure from an oil fire," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in a
statement.
"Its a potential manufacturing defect," official said as ATSB recommended close inspections of all Trent 900 engines.
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