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Air carrier heavy transport aircraft engine shutdown at high altitude resulting in aircraft continuing to destination since it was empty of cargo.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 231757 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199301 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : dfw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw tower : rno |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 231757 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : investigated Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Prior to our departure, maintenance was clearing a write-up on a false engine #2 fire warning where the crew shut the engine down and used a fire bottle. 'The third such write-up.' the problem being a short in the fire warning system for that engine. Before takeoff, I briefed the crew that if we got the same warning we would also shut the engine down. Climbing through FL310 en route to FL390 we got an intermittent fire warning on the #2 engine. We shut it down. We then got a short warning light. We knew what the problem was. I advised ATC and continued climb to FL350 as we were completely empty of all cargo. After speaking to our company flight control and maintenance control we decided to continue the flight to the destination on the remaining 3 engines. The remaining en route and landing portion of the flight was uneventful. I believe that our company's maintenance department's pressure to get aircraft on the line is very great, as is the case with most other airlines. They simply did not take the time necessary to fully check the system out.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR HVT ACFT ENG SHUTDOWN AT HIGH ALT RESULTING IN ACFT CONTINUING TO DEST SINCE IT WAS EMPTY OF CARGO.
Narrative: PRIOR TO OUR DEP, MAINT WAS CLRING A WRITE-UP ON A FALSE ENG #2 FIRE WARNING WHERE THE CREW SHUT THE ENG DOWN AND USED A FIRE BOTTLE. 'THE THIRD SUCH WRITE-UP.' THE PROB BEING A SHORT IN THE FIRE WARNING SYS FOR THAT ENG. BEFORE TKOF, I BRIEFED THE CREW THAT IF WE GOT THE SAME WARNING WE WOULD ALSO SHUT THE ENG DOWN. CLBING THROUGH FL310 ENRTE TO FL390 WE GOT AN INTERMITTENT FIRE WARNING ON THE #2 ENG. WE SHUT IT DOWN. WE THEN GOT A SHORT WARNING LIGHT. WE KNEW WHAT THE PROB WAS. I ADVISED ATC AND CONTINUED CLB TO FL350 AS WE WERE COMPLETELY EMPTY OF ALL CARGO. AFTER SPEAKING TO OUR COMPANY FLT CTL AND MAINT CTL WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO THE DEST ON THE REMAINING 3 ENGS. THE REMAINING ENRTE AND LNDG PORTION OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE THAT OUR COMPANY'S MAINT DEPT'S PRESSURE TO GET ACFT ON THE LINE IS VERY GREAT, AS IS THE CASE WITH MOST OTHER AIRLINES. THEY SIMPLY DID NOT TAKE THE TIME NECESSARY TO FULLY CHK THE SYS OUT.
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.