On September 10, Boeing's first 787 flight test aircraft, ZA001, experienced an engine surge of one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines during testing in Roswell, New Mexico. Boeing said in a statement:
ZA001 experienced an engine surge. The replacement engine is already in NM and being installed. Boeing and Rolls-Royce are working together to understand the root cause but initial understanding is that this is an isolated event. There is no impact to other airplanes and no relation to the test-stand incident from earlier.Sources add the aircraft will return to flying as early as Friday or Saturday with a seasoning flight of the new powerplant, though Boeing declined to offer any forward looking schedule information on when ZA001 would return to braking and stability and control (S&C) testing. Business Week reports that Boeing says "it's too soon to well whether the 787's test schedule may be affected."
An engine surge occurs when "the complete breakdown of pressurized flow through successive
stages resulting a flow reversal of the air in the compressor."This could cause a range of results ranging anywhere between a momentary loss of power all the way to a requirement to shut down the engine.
During development of the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine for the 777, the engine suffered a surge while flying under the wing of RA001, Boeing's first 747-100.
This is not the first issue ZA001 has had with its engines, having experienced an uncommanded loss of power in February on one of its two engines due to a sensor malfunction, prompting a diversion to Moses Lake Airport.
UPDATE 3:37 PT: Program sources say the surge occurred near the end of the testing day on September 10th as the aircraft was taxiing out for brake testing at a medium weight condition when a "loud boom" was heard by the crew.
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