Widebody transport experienced an engine compressor stall during descent with engine at flight idle and encounter with wake turbulence.

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Attributes
ACN	279332
Time
Date	199408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	279332
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	279125
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 37000 vertical : 4000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft was stabilized on approach to lax. 250 KTS, 10000 ft. Engines were at idle. The aircraft experienced light to moderate wake turbulence from a previous arrival. The turbulence lasted for less than 10 seconds. #3 engine started to stall which caused the generator to come off and on the line, which caused the first officer instruments and many of the engine instruments to fluctuate wildly. The #3 engine was shut down using the engine failure checklist. No limits were exceeded on the engine and it was restarted using the in-flight engine restart checklist. A normal landing was completed at lax. We have no proof that the turbulence was from another aircraft. However, there was no reported turbulence in the area and the flight was smooth before and after the event. The engine ran normally before and after this event. No fault was found. Aircraft spacing was greater than 5 mi. Wake turbulence may be a greater problem than presently acknowledged for certain jet engines (JT9D-20J).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB EXPERIENCED AN ENG COMPRESSOR STALL DURING DSCNT WITH ENG AT FLT IDLE AND ENCOUNTER WITH WAKE TURB.

Narrative: ACFT WAS STABILIZED ON APCH TO LAX. 250 KTS, 10000 FT. ENGS WERE AT IDLE. THE ACFT EXPERIENCED LIGHT TO MODERATE WAKE TURB FROM A PREVIOUS ARR. THE TURB LASTED FOR LESS THAN 10 SECONDS. #3 ENG STARTED TO STALL WHICH CAUSED THE GENERATOR TO COME OFF AND ON THE LINE, WHICH CAUSED THE FO INSTS AND MANY OF THE ENG INSTS TO FLUCTUATE WILDLY. THE #3 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN USING THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST. NO LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED ON THE ENG AND IT WAS RESTARTED USING THE INFLT ENG RESTART CHKLIST. A NORMAL LNDG WAS COMPLETED AT LAX. WE HAVE NO PROOF THAT THE TURB WAS FROM ANOTHER ACFT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RPTED TURB IN THE AREA AND THE FLT WAS SMOOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE EVENT. THE ENG RAN NORMALLY BEFORE AND AFTER THIS EVENT. NO FAULT WAS FOUND. ACFT SPACING WAS GREATER THAN 5 MI. WAKE TURB MAY BE A GREATER PROB THAN PRESENTLY ACKNOWLEDGED FOR CERTAIN JET ENGS (JT9D-20J).

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.