History of Flight
The Boeing 777-236, registration G-YMMG, landed at London Gatwick Airport on 9 March 2024 at 1215 UTC after an uneventful flight from Jamaica. Engineers conducting the post-flight inspection discovered that the Outboard Auxiliary Support Fairing (OASF) was missing from the right wing. Inspection of the area revealed that the primary attachment bracket had failed. The fairing was not recovered.
Service Bulletin
The OASF attachment was the subject of the aircraft manufacturer’s Service Bulletin 777-57-0055, first issued in January 2007, with the current revision 3 released in May 2014. The bulletin provided instructions for a one-time inspection of the OASF attachments following reports of cracking on some aircraft, which could lead to loss of the fairing.
Previous Inspection
Both fairing attachments on the incident aircraft were inspected in accordance with the service bulletin in June 2010. Cracks were found on the left-wing fairing, and the aircraft was modified as per the bulletin and returned to service. The right-wing fairing was original equipment and no cracks were detected during that inspection.
Safety Action
In response to the loss of the fairing, the operator initiated a fleet-wide inspection programme to re-inspect the fairing attachments. These inspections are to be accomplished during scheduled maintenance intervals. The operator reported no further findings to date, but inspections are ongoing.
The manufacturer has limited information on findings from the service bulletin inspections, as there was no requirement to report them. Based on reports received, the manufacturer does not consider further action required at this time, but the issue will remain under review as part of the continued airworthiness programme.