AirtrafficController
2010-06-07, 10:19 PM
Boeing disclosed late last week that 747-8F - RC521 - had sustained damage to its number four General Electric GEnx engine while the aircraft was being towed at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. The aircraft was loaded with fuel as it was being prepared for nautical air miles testing and weighed an estimated 835,000lbs at the time of the collision. Additional details have emerged about the collision, as well as several photographs that illustrate the incident.
Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident and the damage, while significant, was only superficial and did not damage the GEnx-2B's internal engine components. As you can see, the tug, which was parked at the time, sustained the brunt of the damage. The inlet cowl lip damaged measured 35 inches across and 17 inches wide, as well as a 17 inch gash on the underside of the cowling.
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/assets_c/2010/06/RC521-GEnx4-damage1-thumb-560x420-77733.jpg
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/assets_c/2010/06/RC521-GEnx4-damage2-thumb-560x420-77736.jpg
Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident and the damage, while significant, was only superficial and did not damage the GEnx-2B's internal engine components. As you can see, the tug, which was parked at the time, sustained the brunt of the damage. The inlet cowl lip damaged measured 35 inches across and 17 inches wide, as well as a 17 inch gash on the underside of the cowling.
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/assets_c/2010/06/RC521-GEnx4-damage1-thumb-560x420-77733.jpg
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/assets_c/2010/06/RC521-GEnx4-damage2-thumb-560x420-77736.jpg