AAIB Report: 767 suffered a contained engine failure leading to a fuel leak

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published a report into a serious incident which, according to Airline Economics+ data, involved a Delta 767 aircraft on February 10, 2023. During take-off from Edinburgh Airport bound for New York, a high-pressure turbine blade fractured in the right engine of the aircraft. This blade damaged a further five blades, but the engine was still capable of producing thrust. The out of balance turbine caused vibrations sufficient to cause a slat track housing drain tube to fracture in the wing which allowed fuel to escape from the right wing fuel tank. [caption id=""attachment_114262"" align=""aligncenter"" width=""300""] Credit : AAIB[/caption] The flight was then diverted to Prestwick Airport. During the diversion, fuel escaping from the wing was ignited by the hot engine exhaust but the flames extinguished before landing. The plane arrived in Prestwick safely with no injuries on board. Following this incident safety recommendations have been made to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that requires Boeing to demonstrate the design of the slat track housing drain tube on the Boeing 767 family of aircraft continues to comply with the certification requirements for large transport aircraft.