Narrative:

I was the pilot on a B777, flying ETOPS cycles for ETOPS type design approval on may/mon/96. The engines were rolls royce trent. Mr a, FAA aircraft evaluation group, was the copilot. Our first sortie was flown from bfi to pae and simulated part 121 operation per the ETOPS approval rules. We dispatched with an inoperative ignitor on the right engine. The ignitor circuit breaker was pulled and collared per the B777 dispatch deviation guide (ddg) and the sortie was flown uneventfully. A complete post flight engine shutdown followed the landing at pae. Preflight and engine start was made after 5 mins of engine shutdown. Following start of the left engine, an ignitor on that side failed. Because the aircraft now had an inoperative ignitor on each engine, it was non dispatchable per the B777 ETOPS dispatch deviation guide. After conferring with the flight test director and mr a, I ferried the aircraft back to bfi under part 91 for diagnosis and maintenance. The aircraft was operated under special airworthiness certificate -- experimental, category of research and development, show compliance, and market survey per part 91. The B777 has been certified under far 213, part 25, for operation with only 1 ignitor per engine required. As such, I deemed the aircraft safe to operate for the ferry flight, and considered the part 121 ETOPS dispatch deviation guide no longer applicable as we were not conducting an ETOPS cycle. I am filing this ASRS because there may be some questioning of my legality to ferry by FAA mido (maintenance branch). They may feel I was non dispatchable per the B777 part 121 ETOPS dispatch deviation guide. True, but I considered ETOPS approval cycling terminated for this ferry flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ETOPS DESIGN APPROVAL TEST FLT ON A B777 WAS LEGALLY DISPATCHED WITH 1 IGNITOR INOP ON THE R ENG. AFTER LNDG AND SHUTDOWN, THE FLC PREPARED FOR THE RETURN LEG. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AN IGNITOR WAS THEN INOP ON THE L ENG, WHICH WOULD RENDER IT ILLEGAL FOR AN ETOPS FLT. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE ETOPS PART WAS COMPLETED, RPTR CAPT APPLIED FAR 213 PART 25 FOR RETURN LEG.

Narrative: I WAS THE PLT ON A B777, FLYING ETOPS CYCLES FOR ETOPS TYPE DESIGN APPROVAL ON MAY/MON/96. THE ENGS WERE ROLLS ROYCE TRENT. MR A, FAA ACFT EVALUATION GROUP, WAS THE COPLT. OUR FIRST SORTIE WAS FLOWN FROM BFI TO PAE AND SIMULATED PART 121 OP PER THE ETOPS APPROVAL RULES. WE DISPATCHED WITH AN INOP IGNITOR ON THE R ENG. THE IGNITOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED AND COLLARED PER THE B777 DISPATCH DEV GUIDE (DDG) AND THE SORTIE WAS FLOWN UNEVENTFULLY. A COMPLETE POST FLT ENG SHUTDOWN FOLLOWED THE LNDG AT PAE. PREFLT AND ENG START WAS MADE AFTER 5 MINS OF ENG SHUTDOWN. FOLLOWING START OF THE L ENG, AN IGNITOR ON THAT SIDE FAILED. BECAUSE THE ACFT NOW HAD AN INOP IGNITOR ON EACH ENG, IT WAS NON DISPATCHABLE PER THE B777 ETOPS DISPATCH DEV GUIDE. AFTER CONFERRING WITH THE FLT TEST DIRECTOR AND MR A, I FERRIED THE ACFT BACK TO BFI UNDER PART 91 FOR DIAGNOSIS AND MAINT. THE ACFT WAS OPERATED UNDER SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE -- EXPERIMENTAL, CATEGORY OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, SHOW COMPLIANCE, AND MARKET SURVEY PER PART 91. THE B777 HAS BEEN CERTIFIED UNDER FAR 213, PART 25, FOR OP WITH ONLY 1 IGNITOR PER ENG REQUIRED. AS SUCH, I DEEMED THE ACFT SAFE TO OPERATE FOR THE FERRY FLT, AND CONSIDERED THE PART 121 ETOPS DISPATCH DEV GUIDE NO LONGER APPLICABLE AS WE WERE NOT CONDUCTING AN ETOPS CYCLE. I AM FILING THIS ASRS BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONING OF MY LEGALITY TO FERRY BY FAA MIDO (MAINT BRANCH). THEY MAY FEEL I WAS NON DISPATCHABLE PER THE B777 PART 121 ETOPS DISPATCH DEV GUIDE. TRUE, BUT I CONSIDERED ETOPS APPROVAL CYCLING TERMINATED FOR THIS FERRY FLT.

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.