 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Captain of large transport freighter initiates an emergency descent to relight an engine that flamed out without being able to notify ATC due to frequency congestion.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 144860 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199005 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bwg |
| State Reference | KY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zin |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 |
| ASRS Report | 144860 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
After leveling at FL370, the pneumatic bleed to engine #1 was turned off. The engine began to compressor stall. The #1 throttle was reduced to idle and a lower altitude was requested (the aircraft was unable to maintain FL370 on the power of 2 engines alone). The controller did not respond to our first request as he was very busy. Airspeed had begun to decay and I motioned the first officer to begin a descent (conditions were VMC). Eventually I was able to tell the controller of our problem and secure a clearance of FL330, but not before the descent was initiated. Maintenance inspection revealed no damage and the problem seemed to be related to a dirty pneumatic filter. I considered declaring an emergency, but by the time communication was established, the problem was under control.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF LGT FREIGHTER INITIATES AN EMERGENCY DESCENT TO RELIGHT AN ENGINE THAT FLAMED OUT WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO NOTIFY ATC DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION.
Narrative: AFTER LEVELING AT FL370, THE PNEUMATIC BLEED TO ENG #1 WAS TURNED OFF. THE ENG BEGAN TO COMPRESSOR STALL. THE #1 THROTTLE WAS REDUCED TO IDLE AND A LOWER ALT WAS REQUESTED (THE ACFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FL370 ON THE PWR OF 2 ENGS ALONE). THE CTLR DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR FIRST REQUEST AS HE WAS VERY BUSY. AIRSPD HAD BEGUN TO DECAY AND I MOTIONED THE F/O TO BEGIN A DSNT (CONDITIONS WERE VMC). EVENTUALLY I WAS ABLE TO TELL THE CTLR OF OUR PROB AND SECURE A CLRNC OF FL330, BUT NOT BEFORE THE DSNT WAS INITIATED. MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED NO DAMAGE AND THE PROB SEEMED TO BE RELATED TO A DIRTY PNEUMATIC FILTER. I CONSIDERED DECLARING AN EMER, BUT BY THE TIME COM WAS ESTABLISHED, THE PROB WAS UNDER CONTROL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.