Jetblue A321 Engine Fire in SJU

[Mike Wise]

Source : http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/09/us/jetblue-san-juan-engine-fire/

(CNN) -- A JetBlue Airways flight departing from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was evacuated Saturday evening after one of its engines caught fire, according to a Federal Aviation Administration statement.

"Passengers and crew used emergency slides to evacuate the aircraft," the statement read.

JetBlue spokesperson Gina Recine told CNN there were no known injuries among the 186 passengers and six crew members on board.

JetBlue Airways Flight 704 was headed to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

According to Recine, the plane was taxing on the runway for takeoff when problems developed 7:15 p.m. ET.

Recine could not elaborate on the nature of the mechanical issue.

The FAA said it will investigate the incident.

Thankfully everyone was safely evacuated. I wonder what caused the fire?

 

[Mike Wise]

 

[derg]

Ooh, that's not good.

 

[JOEFRIDAY2]

God bless those flight attendants.

Joe

 

[juxtapilot]

Kinda weird to evacuate on the side with the engine fire isn't it? I'm not jumping out in front of that fire truck's spray...

 

[ClarkGriswold]

Kinda weird to evacuate on the side with the engine fire isn't it? I'm not jumping out in front of that fire truck's spray...

At my company we're specifically told not to tell them which side to go out of. Just get out as quick as you can, wherever that may be.

 

[T/O w/FSII]

At my company we're specifically told not to tell them which side to go out of. Just get out as quick as you can, wherever that may be.

What? Every pax brief card and emergency exit I have ever seen specifically says don't go out a exit if you see fire.

 

[juxtapilot]

At my company we're specifically told not to tell them which side to go out of. Just get out as quick as you can, wherever that may be.

Interesting. We're Captain/FO side here.. Different strokes...

 

[ClarkGriswold]

What? Every pax brief card and emergency exit I have ever seen specifically says don't go out a exit if you see fire.

Yup, it's "Evacuate, Evacuate, Evacuate." That's it.

 

[Kingairer]

Yup, it's "Evacuate, Evacuate, Evacuate." That's it.

doesn't mean jump out any exit exactly. It means you as the flight crew may not be the best set of eyes to determine which exits. IMO anyways.

 

[ClarkGriswold]

doesn't mean jump out any exit exactly. It means you as the flight crew may not be the best set of eyes to determine which exits. IMO anyways.

This. Just remember getting reamed in training for saying which side. The FAs should hopefully direct them but we are not supposed to specify a side.

 

[Cptnchia]

This. Just remember getting reamed in training for saying which side. The FAs should hopefully direct them but we are not supposed to specify a side.

OK. I think there's some crossed wires here. You are saying, "The pilots cannot specify which side to evacuate," not "the pilots and FAs cannot." I would agree with that. The cabin crew are in a better position to determine which side is safer.

 

[ClarkGriswold]

OK. I think there's some crossed wires here. You are saying, "The pilots cannot specify which side to evacuate," not "the pilots and FAs cannot." I would agree with that. The cabin crew are in a better position to determine which side is safer.

Yes, exactly. Sorry for the confusion. I was talking from the flight deck.

 

[MikeD]

With no reported injuries, I'd call that a success.

With regards to evacuation on the left side, I do wonder if anyone actually went down the L2 slide, or whether it was opened and slide deployed, determined to be unusuable for evac due to the engine fire, and closed again? In the first pic where the P-23 is attacking from the left front, you see the L2 open in addition to the other L doors (can't tell the L3/overwing, but it can be later seen closed), but later the L2 is closed also.

Personally, situationally dependant on how large the fire was with the engine...if it was judged to be small enough, I'd have no problem with evac through the L1 and L4 doors, as the A321 is significantly long enough to where those exits are distant from the engine. L2 may be a bit close, and L3/overwing probably would be a definite pass unless there weren't other exits available.

 

[derg]

We've got the ability to say "left side/right side". They probably did but you have to figure an enormous percentage of your passengers aren't going to listen and go primal.

 

[A Life Aloft]

We've got the ability to say "left side/right side". They probably did but you have to figure an enormous percentage of your passengers aren't going to listen and go primal.

That's because they are too busy grabbing their carry-ons, purses, tote bags and electronic gadgets to take down the slides with them.

 

[T/O w/FSII]

That's because they are too busy grabbing their carry-ons, purses, tote bags and electronic gadgets to take down the slides with them.

But did anybody take a selfie?

 

[amorris311]

This. Just remember getting reamed in training for saying which side. The FAs should hopefully direct them but we are not supposed to specify a side.

The reason is because the 'A' FA is facing the wrong direction. When we say right side or left side they may get confused. MM and I had a long talk about this. His suggestion was teach them port and starboard. I kinda agree with him.

 

[Roger Roger]

We've got the ability to say "left side/right side". They probably did but you have to figure an enormous percentage of your passengers aren't going to listen and go primal.

You guys don't get to observe it, because the pax don't open the doors on your jets, but based on what I've seen flying little planes I wouldn't count on the exit row passengers to get the doors open. Ours only get it right about 50% of the time under completely normal, non- emergency situations.

 

[BobDDuck]

The reason is because the 'A' FA is facing the wrong direction. When we say right side or left side they may get confused. MM and I had a long talk about this. His suggestion was teach them port and starboard. I kinda agree with him.

"Aircraft Left" and "Aircraft Right" don't depend on direction you are facing. Way better than teaching nautical terms.