Australian aviation accident investigators have opened a probe into how a tool was left in the engine of a Qantas Airbus A380 superjumbo where it remained for as long as eight weeks until engineers found the rogue tool during routine maintenance.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said on Monday that it had opened an investigation into the incident after the tool was discovered on February 2.
According to the ATSB’s initial findings, the tool was found behind the fan blades of the number 1 engine of the Qantas A380 by engineers at Los Angeles International Airport.
“The tool was confirmed to be a compressor turning tool which had been identified as missing since 6 December 2023,” the ATSB revealed on Monday.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Qantas said the airline was taking the matter “extremely seriously”.
“When we found the tool we reported it to the ATSB and will work with the ATSB as they investigate,” the spokesperson noted. “The tool is a piece of flexible plastic. It had no effect on the operation of the engine.”
