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A319 flight crew experiences severe engine vibration descending to FL290; declares an emergency; and diverts to nearest suitable airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 775695 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200802 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zzz.artcc |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 30000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 775695 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Descending from FL300 to FL290; felt and heard a vibration from left engine. Looked at the vibration gauge and all was normal. We had no ECAM warnings. (It sounded like a flat tire driving on the highway only much louder.) I asked the flight attendant to look out at the #1 engine. He said it was vibrating as if it were going to fall off. At this time N1 was approximately 42% on the #1 engine. #2 engine N1 was normal approximately 72%. We declared an emergency and elected to land at ZZZ. Flight attendants were notified of our intentions. In our descent and approach all was normal again. On short final the vibration started again even louder. I then brought the #1 engine to idle and landed this way. Equipment met us upon landing. Company and dispatch were also notified. After landing; several passenger said they saw flames from the #1 engine exhaust.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A319 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES SEVERE ENGINE VIBRATION DESCENDING TO FL290; DECLARES AN EMERGENCY; AND DIVERTS TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.
Narrative: DSNDING FROM FL300 TO FL290; FELT AND HEARD A VIBRATION FROM L ENG. LOOKED AT THE VIBRATION GAUGE AND ALL WAS NORMAL. WE HAD NO ECAM WARNINGS. (IT SOUNDED LIKE A FLAT TIRE DRIVING ON THE HWY ONLY MUCH LOUDER.) I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO LOOK OUT AT THE #1 ENG. HE SAID IT WAS VIBRATING AS IF IT WERE GOING TO FALL OFF. AT THIS TIME N1 WAS APPROX 42% ON THE #1 ENG. #2 ENG N1 WAS NORMAL APPROX 72%. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND ELECTED TO LAND AT ZZZ. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOTIFIED OF OUR INTENTIONS. IN OUR DSCNT AND APCH ALL WAS NORMAL AGAIN. ON SHORT FINAL THE VIBRATION STARTED AGAIN EVEN LOUDER. I THEN BROUGHT THE #1 ENG TO IDLE AND LANDED THIS WAY. EQUIP MET US UPON LNDG. COMPANY AND DISPATCH WERE ALSO NOTIFIED. AFTER LNDG; SEVERAL PAX SAID THEY SAW FLAMES FROM THE #1 ENG EXHAUST.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.