Narrative:

3 flight attendants were assigned as the replacement crew for flight xx on aug/xa/00. We were to deadhead to sfo and take the plane load of passenger to hnl that had left that morning and then had to return because of a serious mechanical problem with the first DC10. When our first flight canceled, we were bussed to the hangar to fly up on the ferry flight DC10 that was the replacement aircraft for flight xx. On descent, the flight engineer found he could not turn off the hydraulic pump on the #1 engine. That necessitated repairing the pump before we could board the passenger. About 4 hours, 2 pumps and finally a wire repair (that was mostly the real problem) later, we boarded what remained of the passenger and departed at XA40. About 1 hour 15 mins into the flight, we were told that we were turning back because of an oil leak in the #1 engine. The captain waited to tell the passenger that we had had to turn until we were about 25 mins out. To his credit, he fabricated a story about navigation problems instead of frightening an already tenuous bunch of passenger about the same engine having problems. He also requested the fire trucks not use their flashing lights. The entire crew were very professional and continued the meal and beverage service to completion. I might add that we only had a crew of 6 for this flight. My perceptions regarding this situation are that we need to retire all of these aged, problem-ridden aircraft. I do not feel they are safe and I believe they should be replaced with B767's or even B777-south. And the sooner the better! I would prefer not to fly on the DC10! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the passenger got really spooked during the mechanical delay. They lost about 90 people. 1 woman took her family off and said they were just too plain scared to fly. When the flight returned to sfo, the plane was taken OTS for maintenance and the passenger were rebooked on a B767 the next day. The reporter said that her company has now taken the DC10's OTS due to the large number of mechanicals incurred. They have put B767's on the route instead.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, DC10, SFO-HNL. AIRPLANE HAD A SERIES OF 3 DIFFERENT MECHANICALS, THE LAST NECESSITATED RETURN TO SFO. LOST 90 PAX DUE TO FEAR OF ACFT.

Narrative: 3 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ASSIGNED AS THE REPLACEMENT CREW FOR FLT XX ON AUG/XA/00. WE WERE TO DEADHEAD TO SFO AND TAKE THE PLANE LOAD OF PAX TO HNL THAT HAD LEFT THAT MORNING AND THEN HAD TO RETURN BECAUSE OF A SERIOUS MECHANICAL PROB WITH THE FIRST DC10. WHEN OUR FIRST FLT CANCELED, WE WERE BUSSED TO THE HANGAR TO FLY UP ON THE FERRY FLT DC10 THAT WAS THE REPLACEMENT ACFT FOR FLT XX. ON DSCNT, THE FE FOUND HE COULD NOT TURN OFF THE HYD PUMP ON THE #1 ENG. THAT NECESSITATED REPAIRING THE PUMP BEFORE WE COULD BOARD THE PAX. ABOUT 4 HRS, 2 PUMPS AND FINALLY A WIRE REPAIR (THAT WAS MOSTLY THE REAL PROB) LATER, WE BOARDED WHAT REMAINED OF THE PAX AND DEPARTED AT XA40. ABOUT 1 HR 15 MINS INTO THE FLT, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE TURNING BACK BECAUSE OF AN OIL LEAK IN THE #1 ENG. THE CAPT WAITED TO TELL THE PAX THAT WE HAD HAD TO TURN UNTIL WE WERE ABOUT 25 MINS OUT. TO HIS CREDIT, HE FABRICATED A STORY ABOUT NAV PROBS INSTEAD OF FRIGHTENING AN ALREADY TENUOUS BUNCH OF PAX ABOUT THE SAME ENG HAVING PROBS. HE ALSO REQUESTED THE FIRE TRUCKS NOT USE THEIR FLASHING LIGHTS. THE ENTIRE CREW WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUED THE MEAL AND BEVERAGE SVC TO COMPLETION. I MIGHT ADD THAT WE ONLY HAD A CREW OF 6 FOR THIS FLT. MY PERCEPTIONS REGARDING THIS SIT ARE THAT WE NEED TO RETIRE ALL OF THESE AGED, PROB-RIDDEN ACFT. I DO NOT FEEL THEY ARE SAFE AND I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH B767'S OR EVEN B777-S. AND THE SOONER THE BETTER! I WOULD PREFER NOT TO FLY ON THE DC10! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE PAX GOT REALLY SPOOKED DURING THE MECHANICAL DELAY. THEY LOST ABOUT 90 PEOPLE. 1 WOMAN TOOK HER FAMILY OFF AND SAID THEY WERE JUST TOO PLAIN SCARED TO FLY. WHEN THE FLT RETURNED TO SFO, THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS FOR MAINT AND THE PAX WERE REBOOKED ON A B767 THE NEXT DAY. THE RPTR SAID THAT HER COMPANY HAS NOW TAKEN THE DC10'S OTS DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF MECHANICALS INCURRED. THEY HAVE PUT B767'S ON THE RTE INSTEAD.

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.