Narrative:

At approximately 1 hour 50 mins after takeoff, position approximately 70 NM east of klax, fl 280, we received a call from the purser. He said a passenger (a deadhead air carrier pilot) was observing a fluid leak on the left wing. The captain and I discussed the possible cause and checked the systems synoptics. The only potential abnormality noted was a higher fuel flow and lower fuel quantity on the left side. The captain directed me to perform a visual inspection. My inspection revealed fluid streaming over the entire left wing. The fluid appeared to be clear in color and was streaming off the trailing edge at several points. I observed the left wing from doors 3 and 4L as well as from business class in an attempt to isolate the source of the fluid. I was unable to determine the source. The company pilot who initially reported the possible leak identified himself and stated his concerns. I returned to the flight deck with the purser to discuss the problem. On the way back to the flight deck I observed the right wing and noticed no abnormalities or fluid on that wing. I reported my observation to the captain. At that point we were inside of civet on the civet 4 arrival. We figured that the only possible fluids could be fuel, oil or hydraulic. Since it appeared to be clear we thought the fuel was the most possible source. At that point the decision was made to declare an emergency and land at lax. The purser was informed to prepare the cabin for an evacuation with an ETA to landing of approximately 10 mins. Being unable to precisely isolate the source of the fluid, but with a concern of fire if the fluid was fuel, a precautionary engine shutdown was directed and accomplished. The left engine was shut down referencing both the severe damage and fuel leak procedures. The captain asked socal approach to notify our company since we were within 10-15 mins of landing. After accomplishing descent and approach check list I called the flight attendant at door 4L. She told me that the fluid stream had stopped. We advised the purser and lax tower that we planned to land on runway 25L, clear the runway and have the fire department perform a visual inspection. The captain performed a single engine ILS/visual approach on runway 25L. We exited the runway, advised the cabin to remain seated and told the passenger that fire vehicles would inspect the jet. The fire department reported there was no fluid leaking and we were cleared to our gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane had been deiced two hours prior to departure for overnight frost. The reporter said the walk around check revealed no indication the airplane had been deiced with no dripping or wet flight surfaces. The reporter stated it was a warm bright sunny day with no indication deicing fluid would be required. The reporter said the airplane had flown for three hours with no indication of fluid coming off the left wing. The reporter said ten mins prior to arrival the fluid was reported streaming off the left wing and visually verified by the reporter. The reporter said when on the ground, maintenance inspected the airplane and determined the fluid was deicing fluid by its color. The reporter stated this is the third event of a B777 engine being shutdown for an apparent fuel leak caused by deicing fluid trapped in trailing edge and leading edge cavities. The reporter said for this type of deicing no documentation is required to be given to the crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 IN DESCENT AT FL 280 DECLARED AN EMER AND SHUTDOWN THE L ENGINE DUE TO UNKNOWN FLUID STREAMING OFF THE L WING.

Narrative: AT APPROX 1 HR 50 MINS AFTER TKOF, POS APPROX 70 NM E OF KLAX, FL 280, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PURSER. HE SAID A PAX (A DEADHEAD ACR PLT) WAS OBSERVING A FLUID LEAK ON THE L WING. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE POSSIBLE CAUSE AND CHKED THE SYSTEMS SYNOPTICS. THE ONLY POTENTIAL ABNORMALITY NOTED WAS A HIGHER FUEL FLOW AND LOWER FUEL QUANTITY ON THE L SIDE. THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION. MY INSPECTION REVEALED FLUID STREAMING OVER THE ENTIRE L WING. THE FLUID APPEARED TO BE CLR IN COLOR AND WAS STREAMING OFF THE TRAILING EDGE AT SEVERAL POINTS. I OBSERVED THE L WING FROM DOORS 3 AND 4L AS WELL AS FROM BUSINESS CLASS IN AN ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE THE SOURCE OF THE FLUID. I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE. THE COMPANY PLT WHO INITIALLY RPTED THE POSSIBLE LEAK IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AND STATED HIS CONCERNS. I RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK WITH THE PURSER TO DISCUSS THE PROB. ON THE WAY BACK TO THE FLT DECK I OBSERVED THE R WING AND NOTICED NO ABNORMALITIES OR FLUID ON THAT WING. I RPTED MY OBSERVATION TO THE CAPT. AT THAT POINT WE WERE INSIDE OF CIVET ON THE CIVET 4 ARR. WE FIGURED THAT THE ONLY POSSIBLE FLUIDS COULD BE FUEL, OIL OR HYDRAULIC. SINCE IT APPEARED TO BE CLR WE THOUGHT THE FUEL WAS THE MOST POSSIBLE SOURCE. AT THAT POINT THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DECLARE AN EMER AND LAND AT LAX. THE PURSER WAS INFORMED TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EVACUATION WITH AN ETA TO LNDG OF APPROX 10 MINS. BEING UNABLE TO PRECISELY ISOLATE THE SOURCE OF THE FLUID, BUT WITH A CONCERN OF FIRE IF THE FLUID WAS FUEL, A PRECAUTIONARY ENGINE SHUTDOWN WAS DIRECTED AND ACCOMPLISHED. THE L ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN REFERENCING BOTH THE SEVERE DAMAGE AND FUEL LEAK PROCS. THE CAPT ASKED SOCAL APCH TO NOTIFY OUR COMPANY SINCE WE WERE WITHIN 10-15 MINS OF LNDG. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING DESCENT AND APCH CHK LIST I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT AT DOOR 4L. SHE TOLD ME THAT THE FLUID STREAM HAD STOPPED. WE ADVISED THE PURSER AND LAX TWR THAT WE PLANNED TO LAND ON RWY 25L, CLR THE RWY AND HAVE THE FIRE DEPT PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION. THE CAPT PERFORMED A SINGLE ENGINE ILS/VISUAL APCH ON RWY 25L. WE EXITED THE RWY, ADVISED THE CABIN TO REMAIN SEATED AND TOLD THE PAX THAT FIRE VEHICLES WOULD INSPECT THE JET. THE FIRE DEPT RPTED THERE WAS NO FLUID LEAKING AND WE WERE CLRED TO OUR GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DEICED TWO HRS PRIOR TO DEP FOR OVERNIGHT FROST. THE RPTR SAID THE WALK AROUND CHK REVEALED NO INDICATION THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DEICED WITH NO DRIPPING OR WET FLT SURFACES. THE RPTR STATED IT WAS A WARM BRIGHT SUNNY DAY WITH NO INDICATION DEICING FLUID WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN FOR THREE HRS WITH NO INDICATION OF FLUID COMING OFF THE L WING. THE RPTR SAID TEN MINS PRIOR TO ARR THE FLUID WAS RPTED STREAMING OFF THE L WING AND VISUALLY VERIFIED BY THE RPTR. THE RPTR SAID WHEN ON THE GND, MAINT INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND DETERMINED THE FLUID WAS DEICING FLUID BY ITS COLOR. THE RPTR STATED THIS IS THE THIRD EVENT OF A B777 ENGINE BEING SHUTDOWN FOR AN APPARENT FUEL LEAK CAUSED BY DEICING FLUID TRAPPED IN TRAILING EDGE AND LEADING EDGE CAVITIES. THE RPTR SAID FOR THIS TYPE OF DEICING NO DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED TO BE GIVEN TO THE CREW.

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.