Boeing 777X

[Mark Nankivil]

Sounds like someone messed up the metallurgy...badly.

Yeah, but that is what flight testing is for... Unexpected loads, undersized parts, installation issues/processes, you name it....

 

[TomcatViP]

Thrust link (2 per engine);

Boeing Halts 777-9 Certification Tests For Engine Mount Checks | Aviation Week Network

Boeing is halting 777-9 certification flight tests following the failure of a thrust link mounting component on one of the GE9X engines powering a test aircraft

aviationweek.com

 

[Michel Van]

you must be kidding me

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/20/business/boeing-777x-issues/index.html

 

[Helicoprion]

I wonder what the thrust linkage is made of, I would imagine Ti or Steel. It would be interesting if this could be linked to the Ti material authentication issues that have been noted recently.

 

[Scott Kenny]

I wonder what the thrust linkage is made of, I would imagine Ti or Steel. It would be interesting if this could be linked to the Ti material authentication issues that have been noted recently.

Looks more like steel, it's polished in the pictures. Titanium doesn't stay polished but quickly gets some gray uniform surface corrosion.

 

[piginapoke]

Thrust link (2 per engine);

Boeing Halts 777-9 Certification Tests For Engine Mount Checks | Aviation Week Network

Boeing is halting 777-9 certification flight tests following the failure of a thrust link mounting component on one of the GE9X engines powering a test aircraft

aviationweek.com

i wondered what that was. personally that seems like a major design flaw if one of those breaks

 

[WatcherZero]

Cracks have now been found in the thrust links of the fourth test plane meaning all four aircraft have the issue. This is despite the fourth aircraft not having flown for nearly three years (Only flown between its completion in September 2020 and Nov 2021) and having very limited flight hours.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Cracks have now been found in the thrust links of the fourth test plane meaning all four aircraft have the issue. This is despite the fourth aircraft not having flown for nearly three years (Only flown between its completion in September 2020 and Nov 2021) and having very limited flight hours.

Crud, that is sounding more like "inadequate/incorrect heat treat" than "inadequate design"

 

[WatcherZero]

Yeah does sound like a manufacturing rather than unexpected wear issue. I would be interested to know if the parts were x-rayed during production and certification.

 

[Helicoprion]

Does anyone know if the engine manufacturer makes those struts, or is it Boeing?

 

[TomcatViP]

@Helicoprion : they are listed as Boeing parts.

The fact that one of the airframe that hasn´t flown for a while is impacted would point toward something not resulting from an exacerbated fatigue failure but a damage resulting from a recurring dynamic incident that overstressed the part.