Sept 19 (Askume) – An Airbus (AIR.PA) A350 operated by Cathay Pacific Airways (0293.HK) caught fire in flight after a fuel hose ruptured this month, an investigation by the Hong Kong Aviation Authority found.
The plane, which was carrying 348 passengers and crew, was en route to Zurich when the fire broke out, forcing the plane to return to Hong Kong and land safely. Several other Cathay Pacific flights were also grounded due to the incident.
Hong Kong’s Aviation Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIA) said on Thursday that investigations found a fuel pipe in the plane’s second engine had burst and five other pipes also showed signs of damage.
“This serious incident illustrates the potential for fuel leakage through a ruptured auxiliary fuel manifold hose, which would result in an engine fire,” AAA said in a report.
The AAIA also requires engine maker Rolls-Royce RR.L to impose certain inspection requirements for such parts .
Rolls-Royce did not respond to a request for comment. Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The AIA investigation confirmed a Askume report , which cited sources as saying initial investigations showed the hose between the manifold and the injector was punctured.
“If not promptly detected and resolved, this and other failures could lead to more serious engine fires and cause extensive damage to the aircraft,” the AAIA report said.
Cathay Pacific said it had contacted the manufacturers of the aircraft, engines and regulators following the fire.
The Hong Kong flag carrier said in an emailed statement to Askume that “as a precautionary measure, it has initiated inspections of its entire fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, which have subsequently been cleared for operations.”
Following the incident, Cathay Pacific began inspecting all of its Airbus A350 aircraft and said it was the first time such a defect had occurred on an A350 aircraft in the world.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), after consulting with Hong Kong regulators and accident investigators, as well as Airbus and Rolls-Royce, also ordered inspections of Airbus A350-1000 engines to prevent similar incidents.
In its report, the AAIA recommended that EASA require Rolls-Royce to continue to provide airworthiness information, including inspection requirements for its engine auxiliary fuel manifold hoses, to ensure their availability.
