What happened
On 6 February 2025, an Emirates Airbus A380-861, registered as A6-EOL, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from Dubai International Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle. During the initial climb phase, the flight crew heard a loud thud, followed by reports from cabin crew regarding debris being released from the number 1 engine's air intake cowl.
While engine parameters remained within normal operating limits, the crew coordinated with air traffic control and the airline's maintenance center to evaluate the situation. Due to the visible damage to the cowl, the commander decided to return to Dubai. The aircraft completed an overweight landing at Dubai International Airport without further incident. There were no injuries among the 440 people on board.
The investigation
The UAE Air Accident Investigation Sector (GCAA AAIS) examined the structural failure of the engine air intake cowl. The investigation involved the French BEA, Airbus, and Safran. Investigators analyzed the engine's nacelle anti-ice system, specifically focusing on the feed and protection pipes and the socket assembly. Physical examinations of the fragmented graphite sleeve and the damaged cowl barrel were conducted to reconstruct the failure sequence.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the damage was caused by the progressive wear and subsequent fracture of a graphite sleeve located within the nacelle anti-ice system's female socket. This fracture caused the feed pipe to lose stability and its airtight seal, allowing hot anti-ice air to leak into the cowl cavity. The resulting internal overpressure eventually exceeded the structural strength of the cowl's outer barrel.
Several contributing factors were identified:
- There were no established maintenance limits or inspection criteria for the wear of the graphite sleeve.
- No scheduled inspection tasks existed to detect the degradation of this component.
- The aircraft had been operating with the nacelle anti-ice valve locked in the open position under Minimum Equipment List (MEL) provisions for 12 flights, which increased the thermal and mechanical stress on the degrading components.