The crew immediately identified the engine failure from caution lights and instrument readings. The Air Transport Safety Bureau report, released on Wednesday, April 29, stated the crew pressed ahead with the take-off as the aircraft had already exceeded the speed at which an abort would have been safe.
“This engine failure occurred at the worst possible moment during a critical phase of flight,” ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said.
“The flight crew responded quickly and decisively, continuing the take-off, declaring an emergency, and conducting relevant checklists while planning a return to Sydney.”
Passenger Mark Willacy recalled hearing a bang and feeling a jarring shudder run through the plane just as the wheels were leaving the ground.
“We knew immediately something was wrong. But what was more disturbing, I think, the plane really laboured after that,” he said.
The pilot informed passengers of a serious issue with the aircraft’s right engine.
Willacy said the plane banked and circled over Sydney for roughly 15 minutes before touching down safely on a single engine, according to the New Daily.
“When we landed, there was a lot of applause and cheering among the passengers. And I have to praise, always, the professionals and the pilots and the crew,” he added.
ATSB’s Mitchell said that all those involved in the emergency — the flight and cabin crew, ARFFS, and air traffic controllers — collaborated efficiently to guarantee a safe and trouble-free return to Sydney for the aircraft and everyone on board.
The engine failure resulted from a fatigue crack, and it had been scheduled for replacement fewer than two weeks later, as it was approaching the threshold recommended by manufacturer CFM International.
CFM International examined its CFM56-7B engine fleet following the incident and discovered that, while there had been a number of previous engine failures attributed to such cracking, the specific high-pressure turbine blade configuration of the engine on QF520 still met internal reliability targets and the relevant regulatory guidelines.
Updated high-pressure turbine blade configurations have since been introduced.
