On descent into cairo, egypt aircraft was battered by heavy sand aloft. Windshield damage and center...

Attributes
ACN	193584
Time
Date	199111
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cai
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 18000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : hecc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other landing other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : a16
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	193584
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	193795
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight was descending towards cairo from FL330 to FL120. At approximately FL180 what I considered to be light rain commenced, but rapidly developed into a brownish color and the noise intensity increased to a sound level which could have been mistaken for extremely heavy hail. This could only have been sand. The captain and first officer's windshield received substantial damage, and #2 engine failed, despite continuous ignition, engine anti-ice and flight start being selected. During this phase the 'whoop-whoop' 'pull up' sounded several times. I called out, 'engine failure #2 engine', and automatically backed up hydraulics. The engine failure checklist was successfully complete, and the amplification portion of this emergency drill in section 3 consulted. The emergency required the completion of the loss of generator and the loss of 1 bleed source drills, which were accomplished in a similar fashion. The APU was also successfully started. Subsequently #1 engine duct overheat drill required to be actioned. This drill was completed, and the loss of 2 bleed sources actioned. However, this bleed source was recovered and the drill discontinued. A successfully automatic landing was flown to cairo airport. Throughout the emergency captain behaved in an exemplary manner, directing his crew to the best possible advantage. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter unaware of maintenance required after landing but flight crew took the same airplane out the next day on another flight. First entry into cairo for all 3 flight crew members. None had ever encountered a sand storm aloft before this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON DSCNT INTO CAIRO, EGYPT ACFT WAS BATTERED BY HVY SAND ALOFT. WINDSHIELD DAMAGE AND CENTER #2 ENG FAILED. FLT CONTINUED AND LANDED AT CAIRO.

Narrative: FLT WAS DSNDING TOWARDS CAIRO FROM FL330 TO FL120. AT APPROX FL180 WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE LIGHT RAIN COMMENCED, BUT RAPIDLY DEVELOPED INTO A BROWNISH COLOR AND THE NOISE INTENSITY INCREASED TO A SOUND LEVEL WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN FOR EXTREMELY HVY HAIL. THIS COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN SAND. THE CAPT AND FO'S WINDSHIELD RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND #2 ENG FAILED, DESPITE CONTINUOUS IGNITION, ENG ANTI-ICE AND FLT START BEING SELECTED. DURING THIS PHASE THE 'WHOOP-WHOOP' 'PULL UP' SOUNDED SEVERAL TIMES. I CALLED OUT, 'ENG FAILURE #2 ENG', AND AUTOMATICALLY BACKED UP HYDS. THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST WAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE, AND THE AMPLIFICATION PORTION OF THIS EMER DRILL IN SECTION 3 CONSULTED. THE EMER REQUIRED THE COMPLETION OF THE LOSS OF GENERATOR AND THE LOSS OF 1 BLEED SOURCE DRILLS, WHICH WERE ACCOMPLISHED IN A SIMILAR FASHION. THE APU WAS ALSO SUCCESSFULLY STARTED. SUBSEQUENTLY #1 ENG DUCT OVERHEAT DRILL REQUIRED TO BE ACTIONED. THIS DRILL WAS COMPLETED, AND THE LOSS OF 2 BLEED SOURCES ACTIONED. HOWEVER, THIS BLEED SOURCE WAS RECOVERED AND THE DRILL DISCONTINUED. A SUCCESSFULLY AUTO LNDG WAS FLOWN TO CAIRO ARPT. THROUGHOUT THE EMER CAPT BEHAVED IN AN EXEMPLARY MANNER, DIRECTING HIS CREW TO THE BEST POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR UNAWARE OF MAINT REQUIRED AFTER LNDG BUT FLC TOOK THE SAME AIRPLANE OUT THE NEXT DAY ON ANOTHER FLT. FIRST ENTRY INTO CAIRO FOR ALL 3 FLC MEMBERS. NONE HAD EVER ENCOUNTERED A SAND STORM ALOFT BEFORE THIS.

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.

On descent into cairo, egypt aircraft was battered by heavy sand aloft. Windshield damage and center #2 engine failed. Flight continued and landed at cairo.