Final Report on Boeing 747 Engine failure during initial climb
On Saturday 20 February 2021, a Boeing 747-400 encountered a contained engine failure during the initial climb. The engine failure caused parts of the engine to exit the tail pipe of the engine and to come down in the village of Meerssen. The engine parts injured two people and damaged property such as houses and cars. After the flight crew had shut down the engine, they diverted to Liege Airport in Belgium, where a safe landing was made.
Link to Dutch Safety Board final report (available in Dutch and English)
Recommendations
The Dutch Safety Board issues the following recommendations:
To Longtail Aviation:
1. Make and keep the record keeping of the (non-)implementation of service bulletins for leased engines of your fleet of commercial air transport aeroplanes complete and accessible.
To United States Federal Aviation Administration:
2. Reconsider whether Service Bulletin 72-462, in light of third party risk, should be made mandatory through an Airworthiness Directive.
To the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management:
3. Perform and publish an assessment for residential areas around Maastricht Aachen Airport of the risks of parts departing the aircraft, such as departing engine debris.
