What happened
During the initial phase of a takeoff roll, before the engines had reached full takeoff power, the No. 2 engine experienced an uncontained failure of the 8th stage high-pressure compressor (HPC) disk. Following the failure, the flight crew aborted the takeoff. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the gate, and passengers were transported to the terminal via bus. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
Investigators performed a metallurgical examination of the failed 8th stage HPC disk. The analysis revealed that a significant amount of cadmium was present on the steel base metal at the fracture surfaces. This condition was attributed to an inadequate nickel coating on the surface of the disk.
The disk had accumulated 359 flight hours since its last overhaul. Records indicated the disk had undergone nickel-cadmium plating in March 1996 and remained in storage until February 1998, when it was installed in the engine during a repair process. The investigation also found that other HPC disks installed in the same engine, which were plated by the same company, also possessed inadequate nickel coating.