An undetectable subsurface defect in an engine turbine disk led to the uncontained engine failure that occurred Oct. 28, 2016, as an American Airlines Boeing 767-300 was approaching takeoff speed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said today. One passenger was seriously injured in the event and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
American Flight 383 was bound for Miami when the right side, General Electric CF6-80C2 engine failed, sending metal fragments through a fuel tank and wing structure. The flight crew rejected the takeoff as the airliner approached takeoff speed and then stopped the aircraft on the runway. The 161 passengers and nine crewmembers evacuated via emergency slides. “The passenger who was seriously injured sustained those injuries as a result of evacuating the airplane, as directed by a flight attendant, and encountering jet blast from the engine that was still running,” NTSB said.
The NTSB’s…
