A Chinese aviation specialist has reported that some high-pressure turbine blades in US-made GE Aerospace engines powering Boeing 787 aircraft have suffered unexpectedly early damage, leaving airlines with a difficult choice: replace the engines or continue flying under strict inspection requirements.
The findings raise questions about the reliability of American aerospace products amid growing scrutiny of US manufacturing quality. According to the study, cracks can develop in some blades within about 1,000 flight cycles, potentially causing pieces of metal to break away.
“The airline’s Boeing 787 fleet recorded five engine removals caused by defects in Phase 2/2+ HPT blades,” Xia Xiaofeng, the author of the study, wrote. “All involved material loss between cooling holes on the blades’ convex surfaces.”