The final production 747-8F, for Atlas Air, is photographed during pre-delivery acceptance tests.
Air safety investigators are examining an Atlas Air Boeing 747-8F freighter after an engine fire forced the crew to return to Miami International Airport shortly after takeoff on the evening of Jan. 18.
The aircraft, which was en route to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico, was just moments into its initial climb when an unspecified problem occurred in the No. 2 (inboard port) GE Aerospace GEnx-2B engine. Video of the incident appearing on social media shows flames emanating from the engine in a series of pulses—a phenomenon frequently seen in the event of a compressor stall.
The FAA said the aircraft “returned safely to Miami International Airport around 10:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 18, after the crew reported an engine failure.” Without being more specific, the agency added, “a post-flight inspection revealed a softball-size hole above the No. 2 engine”—a statement indicating that the failure was not contained.
A Reuters report quotes the U.S. NTSB as saying it “has opened an investigation and is collecting information to evaluate and determine scope.” GE Aerospace told Aviation Week it is “providing technical assistance to our customer, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board as they investigate the incident.”
Registered N859GT, the aircraft was delivered to Atlas Air in November 2015 and has accumulated 5,802 flight cycles as of the end of October 2023, according to the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database. The GEnx-2B, a derivative of the GEnx-1B that powers the 787, has established a reliable reputation since powering the 747-8F for its maiden flight in 2010. Although the engine family suffered an isolated midshaft fracture incident in 2011 and a series of events related to core icing in 2013, the GEnx-2B has maintained a standard service record.
The engine is, however, currently subject to an FAA airworthiness directive effective Oct. 23, 2023, which calls for replacement of some GEnx-1B/2B high-pressure compressor rotor spools as well as forward seals, following the discovery that some components were made from powder metal material suspected to contain iron inclusion. The issue, which reduces material properties and lowers the fatigue life capability of the part, only affected a limited population of engines and it is unknown if the GEnx-2B involved in the Jan. 18 incident is part of this group.
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