Multicomponent compressor failure in a jet engine caused by an unexpected stationary neighboring component.

Due to an in-flight engine failure, a TF33 engine was submitted for failure investigation. The engine was found to have failed in the compressor section that caused significant downstream damage. Disassembly revealed failed 14th stage compressor blades and vanes. Characterization of the fractures revealed fatigue cracks and the striation analyses was consistent with short term, low cycle fatigue propagation. Metal physical properties were consistent with alloy and drawing specifications. The failure was deemed to have initiated by another root cause. Further inspection of neighboring components revealed that the 14th stage support contained a large fatigue crack that liberated a fragment into the air stream, causing domestic object damage to the blades. Analysis of the support revealed significant corrosion and pitting, marginally low hardness, and had been reused. This evidence identified the support as the initial root cause, triggering a chain of events that resulted in the engine failure.