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Flight crew of air carrier widebody transport aircraft declared emergency when 3 of its 4 engines lost power at high altitude cruise.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 219139 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199208 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 41000 msl bound upper : 41000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific enroute airway : zoa |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 191 flight time total : 20972 flight time type : 342 |
| ASRS Report | 219139 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 10300 flight time type : 1900 |
| ASRS Report | 219287 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Cruising at FL410, hazy sky, outside air temperature -63 degree F, #4 engine started to decelerate (all indicators, EPR, egt, N1, ff) fuel heat on, all ignition on, 2 and 3 fuel x- feeds opened. Engine started to recover then started to decelerate again and started to recover again. #1 engine started to decelerate: turned off 3 pack. Called sfo arinc for lower altitude for warmer air, possible relight if flameouts and better control of aircraft. Arinc said to standby when second engine showed instability. I declared an emergency, turned off track 90 degrees to south and at 25 NM started to descend. At top of descent #3 engine started to decelerate. As we passed through FL370 the air became much warmer and engines started to stabilize. At FL330 engines became stable. Arinc cleared us direct to sfo and at 127 degree west we contacted ZOA on VHF. #3 engine showed some signs of instability as per a previous write-up. Advised center all engines appeared to be stable and we would continue direct sfo. Main tanks had at least 10000 pounds fuel in each tank. Fuel pressure normal throughout event. Anomaly: when #3 pack turned off, cabin temperature became very cold. #1 pack was turned off and 3 pack turned on and cabin temperature returned to normal. Flight attendants were briefed about situation and it was agreed that no further action was required unless engines stared to have problems again. Cabin would be secured early to facilitate rapid preparation if it became necessary. All crew members handled situation well and performed their assigned tasks without difficulty. Before we left sha with aircraft on ground there was a heavy rainshower. After takeoff we passed through a line of light to moderate rainshowers. Balance of flight was smooth. When it became light, sky had a dusty, hazy appearance, but no acrid odor in cockpit or cabin. Standard fuel heat procedures were used and irregular procedure for 'abnormal engine response to throttle movement' was followed. Landed in sfo.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF ACR WDB ACFT DECLARED EMER WHEN 3 OF ITS 4 ENGS LOST PWR AT HIGH ALT CRUISE.
Narrative: CRUISING AT FL410, HAZY SKY, OUTSIDE AIR TEMP -63 DEG F, #4 ENG STARTED TO DECELERATE (ALL INDICATORS, EPR, EGT, N1, FF) FUEL HEAT ON, ALL IGNITION ON, 2 AND 3 FUEL X- FEEDS OPENED. ENG STARTED TO RECOVER THEN STARTED TO DECELERATE AGAIN AND STARTED TO RECOVER AGAIN. #1 ENG STARTED TO DECELERATE: TURNED OFF 3 PACK. CALLED SFO ARINC FOR LOWER ALT FOR WARMER AIR, POSSIBLE RELIGHT IF FLAMEOUTS AND BETTER CTL OF ACFT. ARINC SAID TO STANDBY WHEN SECOND ENG SHOWED INSTABILITY. I DECLARED AN EMER, TURNED OFF TRACK 90 DEGS TO S AND AT 25 NM STARTED TO DSND. AT TOP OF DSCNT #3 ENG STARTED TO DECELERATE. AS WE PASSED THROUGH FL370 THE AIR BECAME MUCH WARMER AND ENGS STARTED TO STABILIZE. AT FL330 ENGS BECAME STABLE. ARINC CLRED US DIRECT TO SFO AND AT 127 DEG W WE CONTACTED ZOA ON VHF. #3 ENG SHOWED SOME SIGNS OF INSTABILITY AS PER A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP. ADVISED CTR ALL ENGS APPEARED TO BE STABLE AND WE WOULD CONTINUE DIRECT SFO. MAIN TANKS HAD AT LEAST 10000 POUNDS FUEL IN EACH TANK. FUEL PRESSURE NORMAL THROUGHOUT EVENT. ANOMALY: WHEN #3 PACK TURNED OFF, CABIN TEMP BECAME VERY COLD. #1 PACK WAS TURNED OFF AND 3 PACK TURNED ON AND CABIN TEMP RETURNED TO NORMAL. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE BRIEFED ABOUT SITUATION AND IT WAS AGREED THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED UNLESS ENGS STARED TO HAVE PROBLEMS AGAIN. CABIN WOULD BE SECURED EARLY TO FACILITATE RAPID PREPARATION IF IT BECAME NECESSARY. ALL CREW MEMBERS HANDLED SITUATION WELL AND PERFORMED THEIR ASSIGNED TASKS WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. BEFORE WE LEFT SHA WITH ACFT ON GND THERE WAS A HVY RAINSHOWER. AFTER TKOF WE PASSED THROUGH A LINE OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINSHOWERS. BAL OF FLT WAS SMOOTH. WHEN IT BECAME LIGHT, SKY HAD A DUSTY, HAZY APPEARANCE, BUT NO ACRID ODOR IN COCKPIT OR CABIN. STANDARD FUEL HEAT PROCS WERE USED AND IRREGULAR PROC FOR 'ABNORMAL ENG RESPONSE TO THROTTLE MOVEMENT' WAS FOLLOWED. LANDED IN SFO.
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.