GEnx-1B Failure Investigation Update

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued an update on their investigation into the "loss of thrust" event in a General Electric (GE) GEnx-1B turbofan jet engine. The incident took place on 28 July 2012, at Charleston International Airport in Charleston, South Carolina. The incident aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 that was performing a "pre-first flight, low-speed taxi test," according to the NTSB.

Investigators thus far have "found that the forward end of the fan midshaft (FMS) fractured and separated." The update says that the "Examination of other pre-delivery engines revealed a second GEnx-1B engine with a cracked FMS that was installed on a 787-8 airplane that had not yet flown."

The investigation is continuing. An initial inspection of all in-service GEnx engines has been completed, says the NTSB.

There has been another recent incident in the GEnx family of jet engines, but it may not be related to the FMS issue. According to the NTSB, on 11 September 2012, a Boeing 747-8F with GEnx-2B turbofan engines experienced a loss of power in the No. 1 engine during the takeoff roll at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai, China.

According to the safety agency, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is investigating this incident, and the NTSB is participating with regards to the state of design and manufacture of the engine and aircraft.

In their investigation update, the NTSB says, "As part the CAAC (remainder lost in our site migration/update - Editor)