MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY Example

MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY Example MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY â€" Assignment Example > Since the first man used an airplane, air travel has been a complicated and risky as the equipments and operations involved are prone to failure with fatal outcomes. Human error and technical hitch has been attributed to a number of regrettable air accidents in the past. During travel the plane is subject to increased risks due to operating altitude of more than 20, 000 feet above ground. The risk is also magnified if the facilities available such as airports are not in good conditions (Flynn 1961). This paper analyses the report prepared by Australian Transport and Safety Bureau. Case Study: Qantas Flight 32Background and Literature Review of the caseAccording to Australian Transport Bureau, the particular Airbus aircraft, took off from Changi airport, Singapore and destined to Sydney Australia. On board there were 440 passengers, 24 and five cabin and flight crew. As a norm, immediately after taking off successfully from the airport, the flight crew retracted backs the flaps and landing gear. After stabilizing at 250knots and having attained an altitude of 7,000 ft above sea level, the crew overheard two coincident loud bangs and subsequently the engine No2 inboards indicated some characteristics of failure. The crew experienced a slight yaw and the plane levelled off immediately as per the selected attitude. The autopilot option was no longer active at that point as well as the flight directors. An error message showing “overheat” danger sign in the engine No. 2 turbine was displayed on the Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) (Australian Transport Safety Bureau 2010). After informing the Singapore Air Traffic Control back in Changi Airport, the flight crew was provided with radar vectors necessary to hold the plane in a defined pattern. After realizing that the damage on this particular engine was major, they discharged two bottles of fire extinguisher but not confirmation was received. They then opted to automatically transfer fuel from the outer wing tanks to the inner tanks. At this type engine No. 2 displayed a “failed mode”; while engines No. 1 and 4 had lapsed to a degraded mode and engine No. 3 was working in alternate mode, amongst other warning and error messages. The crew gallantly performed certain actions before descending safely back to Singapore. There were no injuries to the passengers and crew on board (Wikipedia 2012). However, there were some injuries sustained by two peoples on Batam Island, where the incidence occurred. Condition of Engine No. 2 upon landingDamage to the planeAs a result of failure of the No. 2 engine, a number of engine turbine components were liberated overboard at a high speed and landed on the aircraft body. The pieces of the intermediate pressure (IP) turbine struck the edge inboard of the left wing of the engine No. 2, leading to structural damage of the leading edge structure. A number of system components were also severed by the thrown-out turbine disc (Australian Transport Safety Bureau 2010). Aircraft Systems The freed debris struck and penetrated the lower structure of the left wing, leading into damage of number of operation systems such as hydraulic system, electrical wiring, flight controls and landing gear, landing edge slat coordination, and fuel leak on both inner tank and feed tank that serves the No. 2 engine as shown in fig. 2 below.