Fan Caused Dreamliner Engine Failure, Says NTSB

Clues point to a fan in the Dreamliner engine failure that reportedly left debris on the Charleston runway recently, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The NTSB released a statement chronicling its initial investigation of an engine failure on one of the first locally-produced Boeing 787s.

On July 28, the plane suffered a "contained engine failure," according to the NTSB, meaning that a part of the engine came lose, but was contained within the engine or exited the engine out the tail pipe. "This design feature generally does not pose immediate safety risks," according to the statement.

Investigators gathered information at the scene and travelled to GE Aviation's facility in Cincinnati to examine the failed engine. They have determined that a fan on the engine fractured. Investigators are continuing to examine the fan. 

The NTSB notes this is a newly designed aircraft engine. The investigators are doing a detailed review of the engine and its components, according to the release. The investigators have also begun reviewing the engine manufacturing and assembly records, as well as the flight data recorder.