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Rolls-Royce reveals engine fire payout
Posted 8 minutes ago

British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce has disclosed that it paid out more than $80 million after the failure of one of its engines on a Qantas jet.

The Qantas fleet of A380 superjumbo jets was grounded for several weeks, at a considerable cost to the airline, after an engine exploded in mid-air in November last year.

Rolls-Royce has said that failure of a "specific component" caused an oil fire inside the Trent 900 engine, which then affected a turbine disc.

The blast on November 4 sent shards of metal raining down on an Indonesian island and punched a hole in the wing of a Singapore-Sydney flight.

Rolls-Royce says the safety of its products was the group's "highest priority".

It added in its earnings statement: "Each time a serious incident happens, Rolls-Royce and the aviation industry learn lessons.

"These are embedded in the rigorous certification requirements, safety procedures and standards of regulation which make flying an extraordinarily safe form of transport."

The payout contributed to a fall in Rolls Royce pre-tax profits last year of 76 per cent.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/10/3135848.htm?section=justin