jul-aug2012

Flight Safety Australia
Issue 87 July–August 2012
47
Almost
hysterically,
she described
what she had
observed from the
cabin – Fire right side
of aircraft!’
As we were just under three hours away from our
destination, I decided to continue the flight to Johannesburg,
after discussing weather and fuel with my crew. My rested
first officer had just been awakened, not by the engine-induced
turbulence, but by his internal alarm clock. When he realised
what had happened, he wasted no time in resuming his duty,
as this was also his first three-engine real-life landing ever.
Close cabin crew collaboration
Praise is due for the alertness of the chief stewardess (chief
purser) in spotting the flames, despite the window shades being
shut because the cabin was in ‘sleep’ mode. Her vigilance and
situational awareness were a major factor in the successful
handling of the situation, as they gave me a vital clue and a
crucial advantage. Who knows what could have happened if
there had been any delay in applying corrective action and the
engine had continued to run erratically and unbalanced on fire
and at high thrust? In hindsight, on all three shudders, there had
been no yaw, only up and down motion, and the autopilot had
remained engaged.
Conclusions
As conscientious pilots, we are the last line of defence, and if
we are compelled by circumstances to fly an aircraft with an
engine that had a previous surge-related problem, we should be
aware that there could be extraordinary events throughout the
flight, especially in the critical take-off phase when the engine is
under greater stress.
During less critical phases, it is important to remember that
in addition to the warning and monitoring systems in the
cockpit, we should be aware of unusual vibrations, noises and
odours. These subtle indicators could be initial warnings of an
impending engine failure.