Dusseldorf - Only by good fortune are the passengers of flight LTU LT 230 probably escaped a disaster.
On 4 October last year there had been on board the Airbus 330-300 shortly after takeoff in Lohausen a bang. Parts of the engine cowling had come off (EXPRESS reported).
Now came out: With the incident, one wing tank was damaged. Kerosene stepped on it. That could have been bad start ...
The machine, with 114 passengers on the way to Thessaloniki, was in the climb over Stürzelberg. Parts of the engine cowling broke off, fell into the abyss and barely missing a man in his garden.
Anxiety among the passengers. Although the pilot could not find any drop in pressure, he decided to immediately return to Dusseldorf. He made the decision right place.
How dramatic the situation was, now it is clear from the investigation of Klaus Buttner. The expert of the Federal Agency for Flight Accident Investigation in Braunschweig determined for months. Just yesterday he was delivered just found another important section of the broken panel, which complements puzzle.
Buttner: "The separate plastic parts damaged then the wing tank and caused a leak. This came from kerosene. The full extent of the incident has been identified only by degrees. "It was not the only damage. Has also affected the control of the wing flaps.
A Arretierstange flew away, bounced off the hull and damaged structural components and hydraulic lines of the flier. Nevertheless, an LTU spokesman said then: "There was never a threat to passengers." A statement that the expert does not want to comment Buttner.
Still, the air accident investigation the incident as "serious incident has qualified, one step below the category of" accident ". The reasons for the demolition of the aircraft parts are not yet clear.
Buttner: "The matter is complicated by the fact that it is in the engine cowling not about metal, but plastic. Its structure and composition are under investigation. Conceivable that there is a manufacturing defect. This does not mean, however, that have all Airbus jets of this type, the error in the engine cowling. It could also affect only individual production pieces. "
In three months, the investigation of an Institute for Materials Research should be completed. Only then it is clear whether conclusions must be drawn from the accident. That could be, for example, the choice of other materials for the engine cowling or a reinforcement of the hinges. The investigation of the experts are continuing.
This had happened: Shortly after takeoff: LTU plane loses engine cover
