Fan blades are important in an engine as air is dragged into the engine by a large fan. This air is then compressed by a series of fan blades within the engine, operating at high speeds fan blades can be damaged by unexpected obstructions and objects entering the engine.
When a fan blade is struck by an object or obstruction the blade can be detached from the rest of the engine and damage vital parts of the engine. A detached fan blade can cause the stresses on an engine to increase due to the imbalance.
When a damaged engine shuts down cracks can appear in the engine casing, resulting in possible engine and vehicle failure.
