Serious incident Boeing 777-289 JA8978,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 245358

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Date:	Friday 4 December 2020
Time:	11:50 LT
Type:	Boeing 777-289
Owner/operator:	Japan Airlines
Registration:	JA8978
MSN:	27637/79
Year of manufacture:	1997
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 189
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	100 km north of Naha Airport (OKA/ROAH) - Japan
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Okinawa-Naha Airport (OKA/ROAH)
Destination airport:	Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT)
Investigating agency:	JTSB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
A Boeing 777-289 of Japan Airlines, operating flight JAL/JL904 from Naha to Tokyo/Haneda, suffered an engine failure while climbing through around FL160 or FL170 at 100 km north of Naha. The Boeing took off from Naha at 11:44 LT. Six minutes later, the No. 1 engine (P&W PW4074) made a big bang followed by significant vibration. The flight crew declared an emergency at 11:53 LT, and the airplane safely returned to Naha at 12:23 LT. No personal injuries were reported among 11 crew and 178 passengers. The initial inspection after landing reveals that two fan blades were broken away from the root and from the middle, respectively, and a part of fan case is missing. Left aft fuselage was also damaged for 30 cm, along with the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer.
JTSB has launched an investigation as a serious incident.
On 28th December, JTSB opened to the public an interim report to JCAB. The broken fan blades are No. 15 and 16 out of 22 blades of PW4074 engine. The former one was broken at 72 cm from the root and the latter one at 18 cm, while the normal blade measures 105 cm long. There are beach marks and radial marks due to metal fatigue on the fracture surface of the No. 16 blade. These blades had experienced 43,060 flight hours and 33,518 cycles at the time of the incident.
On 9th March 2021, a part of the engine cover lost inflight was found at ashore of Tarama island, abou 400 km southwest from the incident site. Found part measures 80 cm x 120 cm and weights 14 kg.

Sources:

Media:

pic.twitter.com/GFzXXcAsI9
— Sean Overzat (@ZatinOkinawa) December 4, 2020

We've now updated our article on the investigation into the 2018 United event with details of the JTSB investigation into a B777 / PW4074 FBO event on 4 December 2020 in Japanhttps://t.co/mIJ1BCHg33 pic.twitter.com/WUNDW1am6C
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) February 22, 2021

B777 PW4000 FBO incidents: comparison of the three fan blade fracture surfaces. More insight here: https://t.co/mIJ1BCHg33 #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/UYn94MJMHD
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) March 6, 2021

Revision history:

Date/time Contributor Updates

04-Dec-2020 13:43 isamuel Added

04-Dec-2020 14:10 harro Updated [Phase, Embed code]

05-Dec-2020 08:17 isamuel Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]

05-Dec-2020 10:33 isamuel Updated [Source, Narrative]

05-Dec-2020 17:44 isamuel Updated [Source, Narrative]

07-Dec-2020 11:08 isamuel Updated [Source, Narrative]

28-Dec-2020 10:52 isamuel Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]

22-Feb-2021 08:49 Aerossurance Updated [Embed code]

22-Feb-2021 08:49 Aerossurance Updated [Embed code]

22-Feb-2021 08:50 Aerossurance Updated [Embed code]

06-Mar-2021 11:47 Aerossurance Updated [Embed code]

23-Mar-2021 07:54 isamuel Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Dec-2020 13:43	isamuel	Added
04-Dec-2020 14:10	harro	Updated [Phase, Embed code]
05-Dec-2020 08:17	isamuel	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]
05-Dec-2020 10:33	isamuel	Updated [Source, Narrative]
05-Dec-2020 17:44	isamuel	Updated [Source, Narrative]
07-Dec-2020 11:08	isamuel	Updated [Source, Narrative]
28-Dec-2020 10:52	isamuel	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
22-Feb-2021 08:49	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code]
22-Feb-2021 08:49	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code]
22-Feb-2021 08:50	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code]
06-Mar-2021 11:47	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code]
23-Mar-2021 07:54	isamuel	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative]

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