The Mitsubishi MRJ passenger jet has resumed flight testing from Moses Lake, Washington following a brief pause after an in-flight engin...
The Mitsubishi MRJ passenger jet has resumed flight testing from Moses Lake, Washington following a brief pause after an in-flight engine failure incident.
The four aircraft flight test fleet were grounded on August 21, following an uncommanded engine shutdown during a test flight.
The left Pratt & Whitney PW1200G geared turbofan engine of the MRJ FTA-2 experienced an uncommanded engine shut down with out any prior indication to the pilots.
The aircraft was immediately diverted to Portland International Airport and carried out a single engined landing without any further incidents.
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| The left PW1200G GTF engine involved in the incident |
The FTA-2 returned to its flight test center at Grant County Airport in Moses Lake, after the engine was replaced.
Flight testing was resumed with the FTA-4 aircraft, flying out of the Phoenix Mesa airport in Arizona on September 6.
The aircraft has since then completed multiple flights, with one flight lasting more than 3.5 hours.
Mitsubishi said the FTA-4 engines were inspected with the help of a team from Pratt & Whitney prior to commencing the flight test. The company said the exact cause of th FTA-2 engine malfunction is under investigation.
The MRJ 70-90 seat regional jet is the first commercial airliner design from Japan. After numerous delays, the MRJ is now poised to achieve certification in 2019 and enter service with All Nippon Airways in 2020.
To fasten the flight testing process, Mitsubishi is carrying out the flight testing from Moses Lake.
