A380 fan-hub disintegration traced to misunderstood ‘cold dwell’ fatigue
by David Kaminski-Morrow, FlightGlobal 25th Sept
French investigators have traced the serious engine failure involving an Air France Airbus A380 over Greenland to a phenomenon known as ‘cold dwell’ fatigue, which had caused a failure in a fan hub slot which houses the root of the fan blade.
The analysis by investigation authority BEA closes a particularly difficult inquiry which had involved a technically-challenging search for fan-hub components from the Engine Alliance GP7200 powerplant, buried in deep snow in remote Greenland, parts which were only recovered 21 months after the 30 September 2017 accident.
“Certification bodies and engine manufacturers are currently considering how to better understand the cold dwell fatigue phenomenon and take it into account in the design of future engines,” says BEA.
