Examination of the left engine of the British Airways Boeing 777-200ER that caught fire during its takeoff roll at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport on Tuesday has revealed multiple breaches of the GE90-85B engine case around the area of the high-pressure compressor, according to an update issued Thursday by the U.S. National Transportation Board. Investigators also identified debris found on the runway as pieces of the high-pressure compressor spool measuring some 7- to 8 inches in length. Initial examination of the airplane by the NTSB revealed “substantial” fire damage to the left engine and pylon, left fuselage structure and inboard left wing. The Board said it would document the damage over the next several days.
The NTSB also reported several minor injuries, mainly abrasions suffered during the emergency evacuation, among the 157 passengers and 13 crewmembers on board British Airways flight en route to London Gatwick Airport.
The airplane’s flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder and quick access recorder have arrived at the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory and investigators have begun to download the data. On Tuesday evening the Federal Aviation Administration photographed the airplane and documented the debris before airport personnel towed it to a secluded area of the field to allow the runway to re-open. The powerplants and airworthiness groups will continue documenting the airplane and engine over the next several days, said the NTSB. Plans then call for removal of the left engine from the airplane and shipment to a maintenance facility for a full teardown.