© YYK via Jetphotos
An investigation has been launched after a tool missing almost a month was found in the engine of a Qantas plane.
The Airbus A380-842 was undergoing a maintenance check at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on January 2 when a tool was found behind the fan blades of one of the engines.
The compressor turning tool had been missing since December 6, 2023 – meaning the plane had been operating for almost a month while the implement was in the engine.
Now, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating "so that appropriate safety action can be taken".
In a statement to the aviation news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo, a spokesperson for the airline said they were taking the discovery "very seriously".
“When we found the tool, we reported it to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and will work with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau as they investigate.”
"The tool is a piece of flexible plastic," Qantas stated. "It had no effect on the operation of the engine."
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