Faulty component could have caused “extensive damage” to Cathay Pacific jet, report finds

AP Business Writer

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s air safety authority has found that a defect in an engine component of a Cathay Pacific Airways Airbus A350 that forced a Zurich-bound flight to return to Hong Kong could have caused “extensive damage” to the aircraft. The report on the Sept. 2 incident by Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority said the steel braided sheath of a fuel hose connecting to a fuel spray nozzle was ruptured. A preliminary investigation found soot on a section of the aircraft’s core engine, indicating signs of a fire. The report said that if the faulty component had not been promptly detected and repaired, it could have escalated into a more serious engine fire.