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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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A BA32 air carrier flight crew experiences an engine loss and then starts an involuntary descent out of their holding pattern. They were initially unable to contact the controller due to frequency congestion and the flight crew seemed to be reluctant to declare an emergency or use the transponder emergency code.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 377983 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199708 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : seg |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15500 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny tower : roa |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Jetstream 32 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 377983 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4733 flight time type : 3200 |
| ASRS Report | 378406 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
During holding at 16000 ft, we got erratic torque and egt indications as well as a surging engine. We followed the aircraft's QRH emergency procedures which required us to retard power on the right engine. We then began a descent due to the lack of power. We were at 15500 ft before we could get a clearance from ZNY on 134.8. He soon gave us a clearance to 12000 ft after we could contact him. We declared an emergency, resolved the problem and landed in mdt without incident. In order to get ATC's attention when the frequency is busy, maybe by activating the identify function on the transponder we can draw his/her attention, thus having ATC ask the appropriate aircraft if something is wrong and if assistance is needed. Supplemental information from acn 378406: if by identing on our transponder we received immediate attention by ATC and could get a clearance for lower, we would've had more time to deal with our situation without declaring an emergency which wasn't one requiring attention from ATC, ie, we could have called our dispatch and maintenance and dealt with and resolved our problem without involving ATC.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BA32 ACR FLC EXPERIENCES AN ENG LOSS AND THEN STARTS AN INVOLUNTARY DSCNT OUT OF THEIR HOLDING PATTERN. THEY WERE INITIALLY UNABLE TO CONTACT THE CTLR DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND THE FLC SEEMED TO BE RELUCTANT TO DECLARE AN EMER OR USE THE XPONDER EMER CODE.
Narrative: DURING HOLDING AT 16000 FT, WE GOT ERRATIC TORQUE AND EGT INDICATIONS AS WELL AS A SURGING ENG. WE FOLLOWED THE ACFT'S QRH EMER PROCS WHICH REQUIRED US TO RETARD PWR ON THE R ENG. WE THEN BEGAN A DSCNT DUE TO THE LACK OF PWR. WE WERE AT 15500 FT BEFORE WE COULD GET A CLRNC FROM ZNY ON 134.8. HE SOON GAVE US A CLRNC TO 12000 FT AFTER WE COULD CONTACT HIM. WE DECLARED AN EMER, RESOLVED THE PROB AND LANDED IN MDT WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN ORDER TO GET ATC'S ATTN WHEN THE FREQ IS BUSY, MAYBE BY ACTIVATING THE IDENT FUNCTION ON THE XPONDER WE CAN DRAW HIS/HER ATTN, THUS HAVING ATC ASK THE APPROPRIATE ACFT IF SOMETHING IS WRONG AND IF ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 378406: IF BY IDENTING ON OUR XPONDER WE RECEIVED IMMEDIATE ATTN BY ATC AND COULD GET A CLRNC FOR LOWER, WE WOULD'VE HAD MORE TIME TO DEAL WITH OUR SIT WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER WHICH WASN'T ONE REQUIRING ATTN FROM ATC, IE, WE COULD HAVE CALLED OUR DISPATCH AND MAINT AND DEALT WITH AND RESOLVED OUR PROB WITHOUT INVOLVING ATC.
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.