CSeries Engine Failure Originated in Low-Pressure Turbine

The engine failure that occurred during ground testing of the first Bombardier CSeries flight test airplane on May 29 originated in the low-pressure turbine, according to the airframe maker. Confirming a research report issued by UBS, a Bombardier spokesman also told AIN on Friday afternoon that the incident did not involve the gear system in the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G and that the damage appears to indicate a manufacturing defect rather than a design flaw.

The engine did experience unspecified problems requiring repairs in the weeks leading up to the failure, said the spokesman. He would not say, however, whether or not the failure stemmed from the same problem that required the earlier repairs. The engine remains at Pratt & Whitney’s facilities in Middletown, Connecticut, where engineers continue to evaluate its condition.

Although Bombardier has acknowledged that the incident resulted in damage to the airframe, the Bombardier spokesman wouldn’t confirm whether or not it involved a so-called uncontained failure.