A380 Oil Leaks
An investigation has identified high oil-feed pipe deflection loads as a significant factor in in-flight engine oil leaks on two Qantas Airways Airbus A380s, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) says.
The ATSB said in its final report on the two 2011 incidents that examination and testing by Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer of the Trent 900 engines, determined that the oil leaks “were the result of a loss of clamping force on the oil-feed pipe connection at the engine casing.”
Both incidents occurred during scheduled passenger flights from Singapore to London.
In the first incident discussed in the report, on Feb. 24, 2011, about eight hours after departure, the flight crew observed a reduction in the no. 3 engine’s indicated oil tank quantity. They reduced engine thrust to idle and continued to London. Maintenance personnel subsequently found a leak from an external oil-feed pipe, which was finger tight.
There had been three similar oil l…
