Narrative:

This NASA report is submitted to give information on an engine failure on takeoff from nashville (bna) to houston intercontinental (iah). The aircraft, weighing 155.5 pounds, taking off at maximum power on runway 20R. Just after liftoff after a normal takeoff roll, a shudder and a bang occurred prior to gear retraction. When I noted engine #3 loss of thrust, I called 'engine failure #3' and switched essential power from '#3' to '#6'. A straight ahead climbout was made, and the engine fire/severe damage checklist was run while the captain made a box pattern to land on runway 20R. With high egt and the catastrophic failure of #3, the fire handle was pulled, but freon was not needed. Approximately 4500 pounds of fuel was dumped on downwind, crosswind, and final. The pilot elected to leave the gear down since the nature of the failure suggested something hit us. While a slower than possible climbout resulted, the other engines were good and performance not a problem. This was only a 6 min flight from takeoff to landing, and besides the emergency checklist, the mechanical before landing was quickly reviewed by me for accomplishment. As I review this occurrence and think of what I might do better should it happen again in a critical phase of flight, I feel my actions and those of the crews were basically sound, however, in retrospect I wish I had better mentally calculated fuel burn for takeoff, and return for landing in my fuel dump calculations. Had I planned for this better I would have dumped only 2000-2500 pounds instead of 4500 pounds to get us to maximum gross landing weight. Calculations such as this can easily be done before a critical, time-compressed abnormal or emergency situation puts one in a situation where time is not available to do everything. Supplemental information from acn 116397: upon inspection of #3 engine, it was found to have seized so quickly as to have nearly torn itself from the mounting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT HAD SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE JUST AFTER TKOF FROM BNA. FUEL DUMPED RETURN LAND.

Narrative: THIS NASA REPORT IS SUBMITTED TO GIVE INFO ON AN ENGINE FAILURE ON TKOF FROM NASHVILLE (BNA) TO HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL (IAH). THE ACFT, WEIGHING 155.5 LBS, TAKING OFF AT MAX POWER ON RWY 20R. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF AFTER A NORMAL TKOF ROLL, A SHUDDER AND A BANG OCCURRED PRIOR TO GEAR RETRACTION. WHEN I NOTED ENGINE #3 LOSS OF THRUST, I CALLED 'ENGINE FAILURE #3' AND SWITCHED ESSENTIAL POWER FROM '#3' TO '#6'. A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLIMBOUT WAS MADE, AND THE ENGINE FIRE/SEVERE DAMAGE CHECKLIST WAS RUN WHILE THE CAPT MADE A BOX PATTERN TO LAND ON RWY 20R. WITH HIGH EGT AND THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF #3, THE FIRE HANDLE WAS PULLED, BUT FREON WAS NOT NEEDED. APPROX 4500 LBS OF FUEL WAS DUMPED ON DOWNWIND, XWIND, AND FINAL. THE PLT ELECTED TO LEAVE THE GEAR DOWN SINCE THE NATURE OF THE FAILURE SUGGESTED SOMETHING HIT US. WHILE A SLOWER THAN POSSIBLE CLIMBOUT RESULTED, THE OTHER ENGINES WERE GOOD AND PERFORMANCE NOT A PROBLEM. THIS WAS ONLY A 6 MIN FLT FROM TKOF TO LNDG, AND BESIDES THE EMER CHECKLIST, THE MECHANICAL BEFORE LNDG WAS QUICKLY REVIEWED BY ME FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT. AS I REVIEW THIS OCCURRENCE AND THINK OF WHAT I MIGHT DO BETTER SHOULD IT HAPPEN AGAIN IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT, I FEEL MY ACTIONS AND THOSE OF THE CREWS WERE BASICALLY SOUND, HOWEVER, IN RETROSPECT I WISH I HAD BETTER MENTALLY CALCULATED FUEL BURN FOR TKOF, AND RETURN FOR LNDG IN MY FUEL DUMP CALCULATIONS. HAD I PLANNED FOR THIS BETTER I WOULD HAVE DUMPED ONLY 2000-2500 LBS INSTEAD OF 4500 LBS TO GET US TO MAX GROSS LNDG WEIGHT. CALCULATIONS SUCH AS THIS CAN EASILY BE DONE BEFORE A CRITICAL, TIME-COMPRESSED ABNORMAL OR EMER SITUATION PUTS ONE IN A SITUATION WHERE TIME IS NOT AVAILABLE TO DO EVERYTHING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 116397: UPON INSPECTION OF #3 ENGINE, IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SEIZED SO QUICKLY AS TO HAVE NEARLY TORN ITSELF FROM THE MOUNTING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.