When Failure Is Not An Option

During the rollout of the first 787 in July 2007, Rolls-Royce Director-Boeing Programs Dominic Horwood challenged the industry to achieve a zero event rate for new engines. He told media that a 0.005 inflight shutdown rate per 1,000 hr. no longer was acceptable and that the engine-maker was determined to achieve zero. That statement highlights the incredible strides the industry has achieved in improving engine reliability to a point where a shutdown is responsible for just over 4% of ...