Uncontained Compressor Disk Failure Prompts Takeoff Abort and Evacuation (N9063U)

Incident Overview

An aircraft experienced an uncontained failure of the 10th stage compressor disk in the right engine during takeoff. In response, the flight crew aborted the takeoff. After an engine fire was reported, an emergency evacuation was conducted.

Investigation Findings

Metallurgical inspection of the failed compressor disk determined that it had received insufficient nickel plating during a rework process performed at the operator's facility. This rework occurred 38 flight hours and 33 cycles prior to the incident. The insufficient nickel plating resulted in cadmium embrittlement of the steel disk.

Maintenance Issues

The investigation revealed that the operator had no written procedures outlining the process parameters and rectifier set-ups to be used during the nickel-cadmium (NiCad) plating process. Additionally, personnel working on the NiCad plating line did not have any means of checking the thickness of the nickel plating during the plating process.