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By Lisa Barrington
(Reuters) - Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways said on Tuesday it had inspected its entire Airbus A350 fleet after the in-flight failure of a component in an engine that is made by British manufacturer Rolls-Royce.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FLIGHT?
A problem unfolded several minutes after take-off on flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich on Monday, according to flight tracking service FlightRadar24.
A source familiar with the matter said a leak in a fuel system appeared to have caused a brief engine fire that was quickly extinguished by the crew of the Zurich-bound jet.
The five-year-old A350-1000 plane performed two wide circles and dumped fuel over the sea before returning to Hong Kong where it landed safely about 75 minutes after its departure.
WHY DID THE A350 ENGINE FAIL?
Cathay Pacific has not specified which engine component failed in that particular flight, but the carrier said it was the "first of its type to suffer such failure on any A350 aircraft worldwide".
After inspecting the fleet it said it found engine fuel lines that required replacement in 15 A350s.
The source said the incident involved a leak in a system designed to inject fuel to the XWB-97 engine, the Rolls-Royce model used on the A350-1000.
The system comprises a pipe that feeds fuel from an entry point or manifold to a nozzle that sprays fuel into the combustion chamber, the hot inner core of the engine.
Sources said partially scorched parts were being analysed at Rolls-Royce facilities on behalf of Hong Kong investigators, but that no leaks had been found so far in other engines.
HOW MANY TYPES OF A350S ARE THERE?
The Airbus A350 is a twin-aisle long-haul aircraft that can carry between 300 and 480 passengers. It comes in two sizes: the A350-900 and the larger A350-1000, both powered exclusively by Rolls-Royce engines.
WHAT ENGINE DOES THE A350 USE?
The A350-1000 and the A350 freighter use Trent XWB-97 engines, Rolls-Royce's largest civil jet engine.
The more popular A350-900 uses its Trent XWB-84 engines.
ARE ALL A350 ENGINES AFFECTED?
Cathay Pacific said the incident occurred on one of its 18 A350-1000 planes. It has since identified 15 aircraft with engine components that require replacement and six have already gone through repairs, it said, without specifying which models.
Rolls-Royce on Tuesday noted the replacement could take place while the engine remained on-wing. It also said it was committed to working closely with Cathay Pacific, Airbus and authorities conducting an investigation of the incident.
There were no immediate signs the incident would trigger significant regulatory action involving all A350s, according to the source familiar with the matter.