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A380 Flies 5,000 Miles On Three Engines
Canada's Transportation Safety Board says Emirates Airlines elected to fly an A380 more than 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, southern Europe and the Mediterranean to Kuwait on three engines after the number four engine flamed out about an hour after takeoff from JFK. The original destination was Dubai for Flight 202 on Oct 26. "The crew consulted with the company and decided to divert to Kuwait International Airport (OKBK) on the remaining three engines where an uneventful landing… (www.avweb.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Many years ago an Eastern Airlines L1011 departed for a very short flight between Miami and Nassau (don't remember which direction) and in succession two of the engines failed due to oil starvation. Turned out the mechanic didn't use a required o-ring when he changed the oil. So… why did the A380 engine fail? Would another? From Emirate's standpoint can you imagine how much fuel they'd have to dump to get down to landing weight? (Assuming A380's can dump fuel… otherwise a massively overweight land back at JFK).
That's a whole lotta fuel. They were tanked up for going all the way to Dubai. They would gave to dimp much if that fuel to make a quick stop in Canada, Maine, Boston or NY.
Most times they'll fly across on 3 engines wwithout any problem. But that one time that the airliner doesn't make it across the ocean, because more engines go out later in flight, will erase all the savings from those times that they didn't dump fuel, didn't pay for hotels, and didn't delay their passengers.
Most times they'll fly across on 3 engines wwithout any problem. But that one time that the airliner doesn't make it across the ocean, because more engines go out later in flight, will erase all the savings from those times that they didn't dump fuel, didn't pay for hotels, and didn't delay their passengers.
On the subject of water in the fuel. The A380, like most commercial aircraft, is equipped with a capacitive fuel gauging system. Because of the differance in dielectric between water and fuel, if there is one thing capacitive fuel gauging systems detect better than fuel, it's water. If they had contaminated fuel they would have had plenty of warning something was wrong. All four engines are fed fuel from collector cells, which are also gauged, water in there would have been easily detected. So there's not much chance of a surprise. All the, "bells and whistles" would have been going off long before they had ever pushed back from the gate.
Most people reading here assume the pilots/ airline had a Loy kore info available to them, than we have at out disposal in this discussion. But without getting some more specific disclosure about the incident, it's difficult for many to have the reassurance that they made the right call in this instance.
They were about to start out across the ocean when one of their engines failed. I hope they had sufficient information about the specific cause of the engine failure. but they never did divert to inspect the engine and determine a cause. And we have no way of knowing that their diagnostic equipment had definitively identified the cause of the engie failure. It's understandable that people discussing the incident would question the decision to cross the Atlantic.
They were about to start out across the ocean when one of their engines failed. I hope they had sufficient information about the specific cause of the engine failure. but they never did divert to inspect the engine and determine a cause. And we have no way of knowing that their diagnostic equipment had definitively identified the cause of the engie failure. It's understandable that people discussing the incident would question the decision to cross the Atlantic.
* assume [they] had a LOT MORE info available...
At the time you just don't know why the engine failed. And what about the next one? Did the same mechanic work on all the engines?