What happened
On November 28, 2010, at approximately 06:00 Japan Standard Time, an Evergreen International Airlines Boeing 747-200F, registration N482EV, departed from Chubu Centrair International Airport operating as flight EIA238. While climbing through an altitude of 1,100 meters, the flight crew observed increased vibrations originating from the number 2 Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofan engine.
In response to the vibration, the crew shut down the engine and initiated a return to the airport. The aircraft landed safely at Chubu Centrair International Airport at about 07:14 JST. There were no injuries reported among the three crew members.
The investigation
A borescope inspection performed on the engine following the flight on December 1, 2010, showed that the low pressure turbine blades within the number 2 engine had sustained severe damage.