In-flight ice foreign object damage to both engines.

Attributes
ACN	290769
Time
Date	199412
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	290769
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were on top at 28000 ft but no real clear horizon. Occasionally we did enter clouds at which time engine anti- ice (ai) was turned on. It was very dark, only the stars and radar would tell us when we were in the clouds. Slight deviations were required but not enough to pull us off the airway. When we were out of the clouds engine anti-ice was turned off. At no time was there any indication of icing. We were experiencing moderate turbulence off and on in both IMC and VMC conditions. At about 1 1/2 hours into the flight. We again applied engine anti-ice. We started receiving st elmo's fire. I noticed ice on windshield and airfoil airborne interception was applied. Tube had 3/4 to 1 inch and my window was icing up very badly. We exited the clouds approximately 7-8 min after entering. Both engine and airfoil airborne interception were utilized until all visible ice had dissipated. All engine indications were normal during application and termination of anti-ice system. Within 2 min after engine anti-ice and airfoil were applied, we got a call from the flight attendants. They heard 2 loud pops in both engines. I went back to investigate but both engines sounded normal. Upon arrival sfo, captain and first officer met with 2 company maintenance personnel. We informed them of the encounter. It was observed that a fan tip blade was bent on the left engine. We told mechanics we would write it up in maintenance log but mechanics said they would do it the next day. Captain got a call from chief pilot that there was damage to both engines. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter does not know where the ice came from and concedes that it may have come from the top of the wing and supercooled fuel. The reporter 'has never seen ice build up that fast.' the reporter acknowledges that the flight crew should have written up the engine damage, but it was presented to the flight crew as being minor to 1 engine only. The chief pilot was rather gentle in his conversion the next day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ICE FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE TO BOTH ENGS.

Narrative: WE WERE ON TOP AT 28000 FT BUT NO REAL CLR HORIZON. OCCASIONALLY WE DID ENTER CLOUDS AT WHICH TIME ENG ANTI- ICE (AI) WAS TURNED ON. IT WAS VERY DARK, ONLY THE STARS AND RADAR WOULD TELL US WHEN WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS. SLIGHT DEVS WERE REQUIRED BUT NOT ENOUGH TO PULL US OFF THE AIRWAY. WHEN WE WERE OUT OF THE CLOUDS ENG ANTI-ICE WAS TURNED OFF. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY INDICATION OF ICING. WE WERE EXPERIENCING MODERATE TURB OFF AND ON IN BOTH IMC AND VMC CONDITIONS. AT ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS INTO THE FLT. WE AGAIN APPLIED ENG ANTI-ICE. WE STARTED RECEIVING ST ELMO'S FIRE. I NOTICED ICE ON WINDSHIELD AND AIRFOIL AIRBORNE INTERCEPTION WAS APPLIED. TUBE HAD 3/4 TO 1 INCH AND MY WINDOW WAS ICING UP VERY BADLY. WE EXITED THE CLOUDS APPROX 7-8 MIN AFTER ENTERING. BOTH ENG AND AIRFOIL AIRBORNE INTERCEPTION WERE UTILIZED UNTIL ALL VISIBLE ICE HAD DISSIPATED. ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL DURING APPLICATION AND TERMINATION OF ANTI-ICE SYS. WITHIN 2 MIN AFTER ENG ANTI-ICE AND AIRFOIL WERE APPLIED, WE GOT A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEY HEARD 2 LOUD POPS IN BOTH ENGS. I WENT BACK TO INVESTIGATE BUT BOTH ENGS SOUNDED NORMAL. UPON ARR SFO, CAPT AND FO MET WITH 2 COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL. WE INFORMED THEM OF THE ENCOUNTER. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT A FAN TIP BLADE WAS BENT ON THE L ENG. WE TOLD MECHS WE WOULD WRITE IT UP IN MAINT LOG BUT MECHS SAID THEY WOULD DO IT THE NEXT DAY. CAPT GOT A CALL FROM CHIEF PLT THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO BOTH ENGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHERE THE ICE CAME FROM AND CONCEDES THAT IT MAY HAVE COME FROM THE TOP OF THE WING AND SUPERCOOLED FUEL. THE RPTR 'HAS NEVER SEEN ICE BUILD UP THAT FAST.' THE RPTR ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE FLC SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN UP THE ENG DAMAGE, BUT IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE FLC AS BEING MINOR TO 1 ENG ONLY. THE CHIEF PLT WAS RATHER GENTLE IN HIS CONVERSION THE NEXT DAY.

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.