During the Qantas 32 accident, one of the engines could not be shut down as the control cable from the cockpit to the engine is cut. The fire crew eventually shut down the engine by shooting fire-fighting foam into the engine.
In such cases, can the engine be returned to service following an inspection? Or, does foam damage the engine to the extent that it is more economical to simply buy a new engine?
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Inaugural Virgin Atlantic flight to Atlanta cancelled after 'water cannon salute' is swapped for foam and clogs engines
The de-clogging work was carried out as the pilot and flight crew went on a diplomatic mission to explain exactly what had gone wrong.
If it's only foam, the non-faulty engine can be de-clogged, checked, and returned to service.
For QF32, all the engines were replaced. There were issues with the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. The rest of the Qantas fleet either received new engines or modifications.
