Cathay Pacific plane has engine problem but lands safely in Japan?


A Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Hong Kong developed engine trouble before arriving at the Osaka airport in Japan, but landed safely and no injuries were reported, the airline said.

Flight CX564, with 148 passengers and 13 crew members, asked for a priority landing Thursday night after its No. 2 engine showed "fluctuating parameters," forcing the pilot to shut it down, Cathay said in a statement. The flight had departed Hong Kong for Taipei before flying to Osaka.

Cathay, Hong Kong's biggest airline, said it was still investigating why the Airbus A330 had problems.

The case was the most recent in a spate of engine troubles aboard Cathay jets that have forced the airline to abort flights.

Cathay said Wednesday it had suspended four of its 10 Boeing 777-300 jets after a 2-meter-long (6.6-foot-long) section of engine duct fell off one of them over the Thai capital last week and smashed onto a parked car. Nobody was hurt, but the flight was forced to turn back to Bangkok.

Cathay said it found problems with engine ducts on four jets and experts from Boeing have flown to Hong Kong to investigate and repair them.

Fonte: Associated Press (via The China Post - 10/12/2004)

Commento personale: Nel caso dei B777-300ER il problema pare che sia da imputare a difetti di fabbricazione delle turbine visto che la Cathay Pacific ha accusato pubblicamente la Rolls-Royce.

I problemi della Cathay Pacific potrebbero essere relazionati con l´esplosione ed al successivo incendio di una turbina del jet presidenziale argentino "Tango 01", un B757-23A, avvenuta lo scorso 19/10 subito dopo aver decollato da Buenos Aires. Anche il governo argentino (due giorni prima della Cathay Pacific) si è scagliato contro la Rolls-Royce (che ha una fabbrica in Brasile).

Mi sa che dovremo preoccuparci se capiterà l´occasione di viaggiare con velivoli motorizzati Rolls-Royce...