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AIRBUS A220 300 accident at Bordeaux, OF, France, 12 Feb 2020
On February 12, 2020, an AIRBUS A220 300 operated by airBaltic was involved in an aviation accident near Bordeaux, OF, France. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A No. 1 (left) engine low pressure compressor (LPC) stage 1 integrally bladed rotor (IBR) separation due to a high cycle fatigue crack (HCF) that originated at the runout of an airfoil leading edge root radius. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
A No. 1 (left) engine low pressure compressor (LPC) stage 1 integrally bladed rotor (IBR) separation due to a high cycle fatigue crack (HCF) that originated at the runout of an airfoil leading edge root radius. The HCF crack developed because of a mechanically coupled LPC stage 3 and stage 1 IBR mode excitation and blade flutter response. The excitation was driven by an acoustic tone generated by turbulent airflow passing over the 2.5 bleed valve duct cavity while the engine was operating at high speeds in specific flight conditions. A primary contributor to the failure mode was an electronic engine control (EEC) software update that changed the LPC vane schedule and increased the likelihood of LPC stage 1 IBR blade flutter onset within the engine operating range.
— NTSB Determination
Contributing factors
Compressor section — FailureDesign
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the 12 Feb 2020 AIRBUS A220 300 accident near Bordeaux, OF, France?
A No. 1 (left) engine low pressure compressor (LPC) stage 1 integrally bladed rotor (IBR) separation due to a high cycle fatigue crack (HCF) that originated at the runout of an airfoil leading edge root radius. The HCF crack developed because of a mechanically coupled LPC stage 3 and stage 1 IBR mode excitation and…
Were there any fatalities in the 12 Feb 2020 AIRBUS A220 300 accident?
No fatalities were recorded in this accident.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 12 Feb 2020 involved an AIRBUS A220 300, operated by airBaltic, at Bordeaux, OF, France.
What was the probable cause of the accident?
A No. 1 (left) engine low pressure compressor (LPC) stage 1 integrally bladed rotor (IBR) separation due to a high cycle fatigue crack (HCF) that originated at the runout of an airfoil leading edge root radius. The HCF crack developed because of a mechanically coupled LPC stage 3 and stage 1 IBR mode excitation and…
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