LONDON (Reuters) – At least some of Airbus’ A350 fleet will be inspected as a precaution, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Thursday, after an engine part failed during flight on a Cathay Pacific A350-1000 passenger plane.
The A350-1000, the larger of Airbus’ two A350 family models, and its Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engines have been in the spotlight since the engine problem, which later turned out to be a fuel leak.
Initial investigations revealed that a flexible hose feeding a fuel injector in the XWB-97 engine was punctured, the sources said.
“We will require a one-off fleet inspection, which may only involve part of the A350 fleet, to identify and remove from service any potentially defective high-pressure fuel lines,” EASA said in a statement.
EASA will issue an airworthiness directive with details of the inspection later on Thursday, it added.
“We acknowledge the information provided by EASA and are working closely with engine supplier Rolls-Royce and the authorities on the implementation of this precautionary measure,” Airbus said.
Rolls-Royce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Airbus and Rolls-Royce informed airlines of the fallout from the issue earlier Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.
(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska and Tim Hepher, by Elena Smirnova, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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