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A DC8 flight crew flying freight from phx to abq did a precautionary engine shutdown and returned to phx.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 430249 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zab.artcc |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 430249 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : egt gauge other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Upon reaching FL350, #1 egt fluctuated rapidly from 0 degrees C to 1100 degrees C 2 times, then went to 0 degrees. This resulted in a precautionary engine shutdown. Company was notified via commercial radio and indicated that they would declare an emergency for us and also directed us to return to phx (our point of departure) rather than abq, which was closer in point of time because company maintenance was available in phx. Our manual states that 3 engine operations are to be considered an abnormal rather than emergency, and we elected to follow this course of action. Landing was uneventful. I feel we took appropriate actions although, having a backgnd from 2 engine aircraft, it made me feel somewhat uneasy proceeding 1 hour on 3 engines versus only 15-20 mins to nearest airport. This was raised and although it was legal to fly on 3 engines for 1 hour, it is not considered in my view a good reason.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC8 FLC FLYING FREIGHT FROM PHX TO ABQ DID A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN AND RETURNED TO PHX.
Narrative: UPON REACHING FL350, #1 EGT FLUCTUATED RAPIDLY FROM 0 DEGS C TO 1100 DEGS C 2 TIMES, THEN WENT TO 0 DEGS. THIS RESULTED IN A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN. COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO AND INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD DECLARE AN EMER FOR US AND ALSO DIRECTED US TO RETURN TO PHX (OUR POINT OF DEP) RATHER THAN ABQ, WHICH WAS CLOSER IN POINT OF TIME BECAUSE COMPANY MAINT WAS AVAILABLE IN PHX. OUR MANUAL STATES THAT 3 ENG OPS ARE TO BE CONSIDERED AN ABNORMAL RATHER THAN EMER, AND WE ELECTED TO FOLLOW THIS COURSE OF ACTION. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I FEEL WE TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTIONS ALTHOUGH, HAVING A BACKGND FROM 2 ENG ACFT, IT MADE ME FEEL SOMEWHAT UNEASY PROCEEDING 1 HR ON 3 ENGS VERSUS ONLY 15-20 MINS TO NEAREST ARPT. THIS WAS RAISED AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS LEGAL TO FLY ON 3 ENGS FOR 1 HR, IT IS NOT CONSIDERED IN MY VIEW A GOOD REASON.
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.