Delta B744 at Atlanta on Sep 21st 2014, engine shut down in flight
Last Update: October 1, 2016 / 22:23:15 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Sep 21, 2014
Classification
Incident
Airline
Delta Airlines
Flight number
DL-295
Departure
Atlanta, United States
Destination
Tokyo Narita, Japan
Aircraft Registration
N669US
Aircraft Type
Boeing 747-400
ICAO Type Designator
B744
Passengers reported a loug bang from the right hand side and streaks of flame from the outboard engine. The aircraft dumped fuel for about 45 minutes.
On Apr 14th 2015 the NTSB reported in a brief preliminary statement, that power was lost from engine #4 followed by an under cowl fire. The crew reported that at about 700 feet AGL a bang was heard, the aircraft shuddered and the engine #4 instruments indicated loss of power. The crew initiated working the related checklists when climbing through about 1300 feet AGL they received an engine #4 fire indication. The engine fire checklist was executed and one fire bottle discharged into the engine, the fire indication did not cease so that the second fire bottle was discharged a minute later. About 20 seconds after the second fire bottle was discharged the engine fire indication ceased. The crew dumped about 280.000lbs of fuel and returned to Atlanta.
On Oct 1st 2016 the NTSB released their final report concluding the probable causes of the incident were:
Turbine Overhaul Service's aggressive grit blasting and incomplete masking of the blade root neck that allowed the no grit blast area being exposed during the overhaul of the blade resulting in blasting media being embedded in the blade root from which a fatigue crack developed. The fatigue crack propagated until separation of the blade occurred that resulted in a complete loss of engine power. The fire was caused by the B-nut on the hydraulic line from the fuel pump and pulsation damper loosening from engine vibration after the compressor blade separated spraying high pressure fluid into the engine compartment that ignited on the hot engine cases.
The NTSB reported a 5th stage compressor blade was found fractured traversly around the blade neck. Metallurgic examination revealed grit blast with aluminium-oxide although the blade neck is a non-grit blasting area. The blade had been overhauled at a FAA approved facility in Singapore.
The following fire was fed by hydraulic fluid that leaked out of the hydraulic line to the pulse damper B-damper nut at the pump, that loosened due to vibration following the compressor blade separation.
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Sep 21, 2014
Classification
Incident
Airline
Delta Airlines
Flight number
DL-295
Departure
Atlanta, United States
Destination
Tokyo Narita, Japan
Aircraft Registration
N669US
Aircraft Type
Boeing 747-400
ICAO Type Designator
B744
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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