Air carrier medium large transport engine flame out in heavy rain. After relight aircraft diverted t...

Attributes
ACN	91519
Time
Date	198807
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eno
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 7000
ASRS Report	91519
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 5000
ASRS Report	91723
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flying over eno VOR FL180, 250 KTS. Had ignition on flight, nacelle heat and wing anti-ice on. Tat +2.4. WX was light to occasional moderate rain with light turbulence. Suddenly hit unseen, very heavy rain. #1 engine flamed out about 7-10 seconds later. First officer was flying aircraft. Had him turn west away from any possible WX. Notified center of problem. Engine did not restart on its own. Started APU and attempted starter assisted start. No avail. Went to windmill start checklist. Lowered nose to obtain proper speed. Engine restarted, although not stabilizing for 2-3 mins. First elected to go to ewr, but determined wilmington, de, was closer. With coordination from ZNY we got vectors to visual, runway 9 at wilmington. Landing was uneventful, and no evacuate/evacuation was necessary. Because we were an international flight, we had to arrange with customs and immigration to bus our passenger and crew 100 mi to ewr. Engine, upon walk around after landing, appeared to have suffered some extensive turbine section damage. An irregularity report and a report to the NTSB has been sent. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the engine damage was caused by the outer case shrinking due to sudden temperature change and grinding off the tips of the turbine blades. Apparently the case will change diameter faster than the blades can change in length. A full NTSB investigation has been made of the incident, but no report has been issued. The PIC is still off flight pending the NTSB report and any subsequent FAA action. Reporter says there have been 14 engine flameouts in heavy rain with this engine type. Aircraft radar return did not show the heavy precipitation they encountered and after engine restart the engine was rough although they were able to pull partial power. They did not fly through any hail or have any hail damage. While attempts were being made to restart the engine, the ground proximity warning began sounding, 'terrain, terrain, pull up.' all 3 altimeters showed 18000'. ATC reported losing us on radar so I pulled up and climbed to 20000' west/O delay. We were then reacquired on radar with mode C showing our altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ENGINE FLAME OUT IN HEAVY RAIN. AFTER RELIGHT ACFT DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE. EXTENSIVE TURBINE DAMAGE DISCOVERED ON POSTFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: FLYING OVER ENO VOR FL180, 250 KTS. HAD IGNITION ON FLT, NACELLE HEAT AND WING ANTI-ICE ON. TAT +2.4. WX WAS LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE RAIN WITH LIGHT TURB. SUDDENLY HIT UNSEEN, VERY HVY RAIN. #1 ENG FLAMED OUT ABOUT 7-10 SECS LATER. F/O WAS FLYING ACFT. HAD HIM TURN W AWAY FROM ANY POSSIBLE WX. NOTIFIED CENTER OF PROB. ENG DID NOT RESTART ON ITS OWN. STARTED APU AND ATTEMPTED STARTER ASSISTED START. NO AVAIL. WENT TO WINDMILL START CHKLIST. LOWERED NOSE TO OBTAIN PROPER SPD. ENG RESTARTED, ALTHOUGH NOT STABILIZING FOR 2-3 MINS. FIRST ELECTED TO GO TO EWR, BUT DETERMINED WILMINGTON, DE, WAS CLOSER. WITH COORD FROM ZNY WE GOT VECTORS TO VISUAL, RWY 9 AT WILMINGTON. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND NO EVAC WAS NECESSARY. BECAUSE WE WERE AN INTL FLT, WE HAD TO ARRANGE WITH CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION TO BUS OUR PAX AND CREW 100 MI TO EWR. ENG, UPON WALK AROUND AFTER LNDG, APPEARED TO HAVE SUFFERED SOME EXTENSIVE TURBINE SECTION DAMAGE. AN IRREGULARITY RPT AND A RPT TO THE NTSB HAS BEEN SENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE ENG DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY THE OUTER CASE SHRINKING DUE TO SUDDEN TEMP CHANGE AND GRINDING OFF THE TIPS OF THE TURBINE BLADES. APPARENTLY THE CASE WILL CHANGE DIAMETER FASTER THAN THE BLADES CAN CHANGE IN LENGTH. A FULL NTSB INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN MADE OF THE INCIDENT, BUT NO RPT HAS BEEN ISSUED. THE PIC IS STILL OFF FLT PENDING THE NTSB REPORT AND ANY SUBSEQUENT FAA ACTION. RPTR SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN 14 ENG FLAMEOUTS IN HVY RAIN WITH THIS ENG TYPE. ACFT RADAR RETURN DID NOT SHOW THE HVY PRECIPITATION THEY ENCOUNTERED AND AFTER ENG RESTART THE ENG WAS ROUGH ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ABLE TO PULL PARTIAL PWR. THEY DID NOT FLY THROUGH ANY HAIL OR HAVE ANY HAIL DAMAGE. WHILE ATTEMPTS WERE BEING MADE TO RESTART THE ENG, THE GND PROX WARNING BEGAN SOUNDING, 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP.' ALL 3 ALTIMETERS SHOWED 18000'. ATC RPTED LOSING US ON RADAR SO I PULLED UP AND CLBED TO 20000' W/O DELAY. WE WERE THEN REACQUIRED ON RADAR WITH MODE C SHOWING OUR ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Air carrier medium large transport engine flame out in heavy rain. After relight aircraft diverted to alternate. Extensive turbine damage discovered on postflt inspection.