Aircraft News Weblog

Tag: Pratt and Whitney

  • PW1100G Geared Turbo Fan

    Pratt and Whitney have found themselves in a strange situation. Their order book is brimming with orders for the PW1100G ( Geared Turbo Fan) but the engine used in the Airbus 320/321 Neo is being removed in record numbers for repair. In total 1200 engines will need repairs. The problem is a number of small cracks appearing in the powdered metal used in the engines High Pressure Turbine disks that were manufactured between 2015 and 2021.

    At the moment Pratt and Whitney are producing more engines than are being removed to bring AOG (Aircraft On Ground) rates down. The defect is having an effect on multiple airlines in the busy summer season. Pratt and Whitney have increased engine production to minimize the downtime of existing customers by having engines available. Despite this, approximately 10% of the GTF fleet is parked awaiting engines. Indian airline Go First recently cited the engine as the primary reason they filed for bankruptcy.

    There are also problems with the PW1500G series engine installed in the Airbus 220. The reliability of the engine is well below the target that Pratt and Whitney expect. Some PW1524G engines in the A220-300 are being removed at less than a thousand landings instead of the forecast 5260 landings. There is an Engine Airworthiness Directive for inspection of the engine fan due to inflight shutdowns and the failure of fan blades.

    Now, in my experience there are always teething troubles with new designed engines that only appear after operational real world experience. The manufacturers do their best to cover all the bases to achieve certification from the regulator but, they can’t anticipate all the environmental affects that the engines will experience.

  • Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash at San Francisco

    There is a lot of information and conjecture coming out in the press regarding the reason the Boeing 777 hit the sea wall during the attempted landing at San Francisco. There will be a definite answer from the NTSB when the investigation is completed which could take months to finalize. Regardless of any mechanical or electronic failures in the aircraft that may have contributed to the crash, the investigation will consider the Human Factors involved. There are always human factors involved and they go well beyond the crew and the circumstances of this particular flight.

    The NTSB will construct a timeline for each crew member going back at least 72 hours. This will include all rest and work periods, medications or personal events which could influence concentration or mood. Crew interaction will be examined to ensure the appropriate actions were not affected by personalities in the cockpit. There will be an examination of the distractions and circumstances in regard to the approach into the airport, and also any distraction warnings or unusual circumstances within the aircraft during the flight.

    It seems to be common knowledge that there was training taking place in the cockpit during the flight. Training of the ‘pilot flying’ during the approach to San Francisco will be examined to assess the amount of supervision provided by the training Captain. This is particularly important as the responsibility to maintain the safety parameters lies with the training Captain if there is a departure from Standard Operating Procedures or erosion of safety limits.

    The reasons for this crash will be many and varied as the Human Factors reach into all aspects of the Asiana Airlines operation of the aircraft in their fleet. The reason could cross all types of aircraft and operations so lessons will be learned and changes and improvements made to prevent this type of accident occurring again in all airlines and operators.