Qantas A380 Flies for 294 Hours with Tool Lodged Inside Engine
Qantas faced scrutiny after the Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) released its findings on an incident involving one of its Airbus A380 aircraft. A tool, used during maintenance, was reportedly left inside the engine, and the plane managed to operate for nearly 300 hours before the issue was discovered. Presenting the results on November 14, 2024, the ATSB shed light on the serious oversights made during the aircraft’s servicing.
The aircraft, identified by the registration number VH-OQI, underwent routine maintenance upon arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from Sydney on December 6, 2023. Engineers conducted the turnaround checks and the plane returned to Sydney without incident. Unbeknownst to them, the maintenance check failed to account for the presence of the 1.25-meter-long nylon tool, which is typically used to turn engine compressors during inspections.
After flying on 34 sectors—equivalent to 17 round-trip flights—the tool was finally discovered during another inspection conducted at LAX on January 1, 2024. The tool had been lodged against the low-pressure outlet guide vanes of one of its four Rolls-Royce engines. This finding raised concerns considering how it had been undetected across multiple inspections, leading the plane to operate with the foreign object for over three weeks.
The ATSB’s investigation found significant lapses. While the tool was damaged and deformed due to high-energy airflow within the engine, remarkably, it had not resulted in any apparent damage to the engine’s components. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell pointed out glaring failures by maintenance engineers, noting they had procedural gaps. Engineers overlooked the missing tool following the first maintenance check and did not initiate the mandated lost tool protocol when it was identified as missing.
The investigation also highlighted how multiple inspection processes failed to identify the tool before the aircraft was cleared for flight. The lack of attention to proper foreign object debris checks allowed the tool to remain undetected, which could have posed serious risks for future operations. Late reporting of the lost tool also impaired the identification process.
"Foreign object debris and damage can pose significant threats to the safe operation of aircraft, which is why regulations, procedures, and training are part of aviation safety standards," the ATSB report communicated. Their findings prompted Qantas to reevaluate its maintenance protocols to prioritize adherence to tool recovery processes.
Qantas responded swiftly to the ATSB report, reitering the importance of proper reporting and adherence to safety directives. The airline disclosed, "We take this extremely seriously and, though no damage was done to the engine, it is of utmost importance to follow lost tool processes explicitly." Following the incident, internal safety directives were reinforced to all engineering personnel, emphasizing their responsibility to keep track of maintenance tools.
The incident serves as a grave reminder within the aviation industry of the potential risks associated with lapses during aircraft maintenance checks. The importance of stringent processes cannot be overstated, and Qantas aims to utilize this experience to bolster safety standards going forward.
All eyes will remain on Qantas as they implement the recommendations issued by the ATSB and make the necessary adjustments to their maintenance and safety protocols to prevent any recurrence of this alarming oversight.
