What happened
On 16 May 2011, a Cathay Pacific Airways Airbus A330-343, registered B-HLM, was climbing through 33,000 feet en route from Singapore Changi Airport to Jakarta when the crew heard a loud bang and experienced intense airframe vibration. The flight crew identified an engine stall in the No.2 engine and subsequently shut the engine down. During the return descent to Changi, a fire warning appeared for the No.2 engine. Despite the crew discharging both available fire extinguishing bottles, the fire warning light continued to flicker. Upon landing, the Airport Emergency Service discovered that the No.2 engine was actively on fire and worked to extinguish the flames.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical failure of the engine components and the subsequent fire development. Investigators found that a 130 mm section of a fan blade tip had detached. This separation caused the engine's rotating assembly to become unbalanced, leading to severe vibration and physical contact between the fan blades and the engine's internal casing. The investigation also looked into the communication between the flight crew and the airport emergency responders, noting difficulties in establishing direct contact with the Fire Commander via radio.