What happened
On 21 August 2005, a domestic scheduled flight operated by an MD 82, registration ZS-TRD, departed from Cape Town International Airport (FACT) bound for OR Tambo International Airport (FAJS). During the takeoff roll, the crew observed that the right-hand engine's N2 and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) were slightly higher than those of the left-hand engine.
As the aircraft climbed through 3,000 feet above mean sea level, the crew heard several loud bangs, followed by the right-hand engine spooling down. In response, the automatic reserve thrust (ART) engaged on the left-hand engine. The crew subsequently shut down the right-hand engine and successfully returned to Cape Town for a safe landing. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries among the passengers and crew.
The investigation
Investigators examined the right-hand engine to determine the source of the failure. A borescope inspection performed by the South African Technical Maintenance Control Centre revealed significant internal damage. The inspection identified a nick on one fan blade located 5.5 inches from the blade root.
Further examination of the engine's internal components showed that several low-pressure compressor (LPC) blades had sustained severe damage to their trailing edges. Additionally, the high-pressure compressor (HPC) exhibited extensive damage to the blade leading edges and instances of tip separation caused by impact. The first-stage turbine blades of the high-pressure turbine (HPT) also showed evidence of leading-edge damage.