EASA says A350 engine fire linked to maintenance issue

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said the XWB-97 engine fire on an A350 aircraft flown by Cathay Pacific on September 2, 2024, was possibly linked to a maintenance issue. The EASA had previously issued an airworthiness directive (AD), ordering airlines to visually inspect the Rolls-Royce engines after the incident. “In-service and in-shop inspections since then have identified that a specific cleaning process available during engine refurbishment may lead to fuel manifold main fuel hose degradation,” the EASA said in a statement. “The new AD responds to this development.” The new AD said the affected part was the fuel