A330
Overwater Flameout
Raises ETOPS Issues
FRANCES
FIORINO/NEW YORK
With
engines windmilling on the A330, the pilot managed to guide the aircraft
to a runway 85 naut. mi. away
The
Aug. 24 shutdown of both 71,000-lb.-thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines
on an Air Transat Airbus A330-200 transiting the Atlantic Ocean stunned
industry--and promptly stirred regulators, airlines and manufacturers to
action, initiating engine and fuel system inspections and probes of training
and maintenance practices.
In
the wake of the near-catastrophic event, flight safety experts can be expected
to revisit all aspects of extended twin-engine overwater operations.
Just
last week, Canadian Transport Minister David Collenette revealed Air Transat
agreed to a request by Transport Canada to implement special ETOPS training
sessions for all flight crew as well as to review proper procedures, which
include fuel management and the need to divert to the nearest alternate
airport at first sign of engine-related emergency. In addition, Air Transat
initiated a comprehensive review of the safety of its maintenance and operations
and has provided Transport Canada with a corrective action plan.
The
Portuguese safety board, the Gabiente de Pevencao e Investigacao de Acidentes
com Aeronaves (GPIAA), is leading the investigation, with assistance from
the Transport Safety Board of Canada and DCGA, the French civil aviation
authority. GPIAA's preliminary report determined that both engines failed
as a result of fuel starvation, and that a low-pressure fuel line on the
No. 2 engine, Rolls-Royce Trent 700 serial no. 41055, had failed "probably
as a result of its coming into contact with an adjacent hydraulic line"
(see p. 36).
Montreal-based
Air Transat Flight TS236, an A330-200, C-GITS, departed Toronto Lester
B. Pearson Airport as scheduled, at 8:10 p.m. (EST) on Aug. 23, en route
to Lisbon, with 293 passengers and 13 crewmembers. The twin-engine aircraft
is certified to operate under the ETOPS 120-min. rule, that is, permitted
to divert with one operable engine to an airport that is up to 2 hr. away.
Flight
TS236 was cruising at Flight Level 390 (39,000 ft.). At 0536Z, the flight
crew became aware of a fuel imbalance between the left and right wing main
fuel tanks. At about 0541Z, the crew, concerned about the lower-than-expected
fuel quantity indication, elected to divert from the intended flight route
to Lajes Field (LPLA), which is located on the northeast tip of Terceira
Island in the Azores--850 mi. west of Lisbon.
At
0548Z, the crew ascertained a leak might be the cause of the fuel loss
and declared an emergency to Santa Maria Oceanic Control. At 0613Z, with
Flight 236 135 mi. distant from Lajes, the flight crew alerted air traffic
control of the failure of the right Rolls-Royce Trent 772-211B engine.
About
13 min. later, about 85 naut. mi. from Lajes at an altitude of about FL345,
the left engine failed. The flight crew advised ATC that ditching at sea
was a possibility.
The
aircraft, which has a range of 5,600 naut. mi., and can accommodate up
to 406 passengers in high-density configuration, became a glider. Its fuel
supply--tanks have a maximum capacity of 36,750 U.S. gal.--was apparently
depleted.
The
cabin crew prepared the passengers for ditching at sea and issued brace
command. ATC provided radar vectors to the flight crew, who proceeded on
an engines-out night visual approach in what the GPIAA described as good
weather conditions--wind 330 deg. at 8 kt., visibility unlimited, few clouds
at 2,500 ft. and 5,000 ft. and temperature at 19C.
When
the A330 touched down on Lajes' 10,865 X 300-ft. Runway 33 at 0646Z, eight
of 10 tires ruptured. The GPIAA report said small fires that started in
the main gear wheels were extinguished by crash response vehicles in position
at the field. "There was no evidence of fire on the engine or fuel system,"
an Air Transat official said.
The
GPIAA said nine passengers and two cabin crewmembers received minor injuries
in the emergency evacuation, which, according to Flight Director Meleni
Tesic, was completed in 90 sec. Reportedly, there was no fire or smoke
in the cabin.
Passengers
described the landing as "brutal" and "hysterical" and some accused the
cabin crew of panicking. Tesic said there "was absolutely no panic in the
cabin." With no PA system, she explained, attendants must shout as loudly
as possible so passengers can hear safety instructions. Some passengers
may have misconstrued the shouting for panic behavior.
Capt.
Robert Piche said at a press conference he was "fully confident" the aircraft
was loaded with fuel when the flight departed Toronto Pearson. He said
he had minimum power with which to control the aircraft on descent to Lajes.
Passengers
and the public hailed the flight crew as heroes, but Piche dismissed this,
saying, "I was only doing my job . . . . we train for the worst." First
Officer Dirk DeJager agreed. Piche, 49, and with 30 years of airline experience
has been employed by Air Transat for nearly five years. DeJager, 28, has
been flying with Air Transat for about five years.
No
one had to be reminded of possible endings for the TS236 story. Lajes,
a U.S. air base from which air crews and support troops are deployed, has
high terrain to 1,925 ft. 2.75 naut. mi. west, and 503 ft. 0.25 naut. mi.
east. From October to May, strong winds create hazardous crosswinds.
Immediately
following the incident, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada suspended
that country's largest charter airline from operating 120-min. ETOPS for
its three A330s in a fleet of 24 aircraft, and launched a special audit
of the carrier's maintenance practices. It also increased surveillance
of Air Transat's aviation program to ensure compliance with Canadian Aviation
Regulations. "The issue is that a leak in a pipe should not result in two
engine shutdowns. That is a serious concern," said TSB Chairman Benoit
Bouchard.
Air
Transat called the rule "normal" and "a usual procedure in this type of
circumstance" and did not expect it to have more than a minor impact on
day-to-day operations. The carrier is to continue to fly ETOPS under the
60-min. rule, that is, an engine-out aircraft must be no more than 1 hr.
from an airport. This means Air Transat will fly routes closer to land
masses.
As
a precautionary measure, Air Transat completed inspections of its engines
on its A330s. Air Canada, which operates eight A330s, all of which have
Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, undertook and completed inspection of the
powerplants to ensure no mechanical conditions existed of the type that
may have contributed to the Air Transat emergency.
On
Aug. 29, Airbus issued an AOT (All Operators Telex) to operators of Airbus
aircraft equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700s, saying the source of Air
Transat's fuel leak is "a damaged fuel feed pipe." Further, it says the
damage is "due to interference with the hydraulic pipe from the aft hydraulic
pump in the vicinity of the HP fuel pump inlet" and that the interference
can result in "a significant fuel leak." It says the pipes are modified
as part of Rolls-Royce service bulletin RB211-29-C625. Complete application
of the SB would ensure adequate clearance, according to the AOT, adding
that the SB appears to "be partially applied on the affected engine."
The
aim of the AOT is to launch a one-time inspection of the A330/Trent 700
fleet and spare engines, to ensure there is no interference between the
parts in question and to complete that inspection within 72 hr. of receipt
of the AOT.
Air
Transat late last week was trying to regain its equilibrium. The carrier,
a subsidiary of a leading Canadian travel services company, Transat A.T.,
began operations in 1987. Air Transat operates charters from Canada and
Europe to southern destinations. It has a total fleet of 24 aircraft, including
three A330s (two -200s and one -300), four A310-300s, six Lockheed L-1011-500s,
seven L-1011-10s and four Boeing 757-200s. The airline says it transported
3.5 million passengers last year.
The
company has not had any accidents causing injury, nor has the aircraft
involved in the Lajes occurrence been implicated in another incident. According
to Air Transat President and CEO Denis Jacob, the carrier has had 54 minor
events out of 2,800 listed for Canada's total air industry.
The
Lajes incident, however, is the second emergency evacuation for the carrier
within seven days. On Aug. 18, smoke issued from the cabin ceiling lights
of an L-1011 as it taxied to the departure runway at Orlando, Fla., with
324 passengers and 14 crew on board, The pilot ordered an evacuation that
resulted in a few minor injuries.
The
crippled A330 sat on Lajes sole runway, forcing the airport to cease flight
operations, stranding about 600 passengers, until Aug. 28, when repair
crews arrived with equipment to move the aircraft.
Pierre
Sparaco contributed to this report from Paris.
See
Also:
Airbus
Strives For Operational Flexibility |
