American 767 Uncontained Engine Failure

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
Staff member
The email which I received along with the pictures:

I haven't authenticated any of the information, just passing it on.

Bet this had everyone's full & undivided attention. Catastrophic engine failure on a 767 - it isn't often you see pieces of one motor sticking out of another one.

Check this out. Happened to an AA 767 last Friday. The disc went through
the aircraft into the OTHER engine On Friday, during a ground run at LAX,
GE CF6 in the number one position let go on an American Airlines 767. Two
taxiways were closed while bits of disc were retrieved. Attached are some
photos, one of which shows half a disc sticking out of an engine. In fact,
the disc belongs to the other engine - it's passed through the centre wing
box and embedded itself. Undoubtedly, this would have brought down the
aircraft had this happened in service. The rear fuselage and port inboard
flaps were toasted as combustor exit gases escaped and hit the airframe,
which has to have been written off.

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Wow. From the Full Narrative version:

HISTORY

On June 2, 2006, at 1227 Pacific daylight time, an American Airlines Boeing 767/223(ER) was substantially damaged when the left engine, a General Electric (GE) CF6-80A, had an uncontained high-pressure turbine (HPT) stage 1 disk failure during a high-power ground run for maintenance on the ground at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Los Angeles, California. In response to a write up by the pilots of the airplane's inbound flight to LAX that the left engine was lagging the right engine by about 2 percent during a climb from FL 360 to 380, maintenance personnel repositioned the airplane from the terminal to a run up pad to test the engine. The maintenance personnel on the airplane, after starting the engines, had accelerated both engines to maximum power with the electronic engine controls (EEC) ON. Although both engines were able to attain maximum power, left engine's power lever was about a full knob width further forward than the right engine's power lever. The maintenance personnel then turned the left engine's EEC OFF and made two idle-to-maximum power-to-idle power excursions. The mechanics on board stated that after the engine had attained maximum power and was decelerating the second time, they heard a loud bang that was followed by a fire on the left side of the airplane and a left engine fire warning in the cockpit. The maintenance personnel accomplished an emergency shutdown of the engines, discharged one fire bottle into the left engine's nacelle, and evacuated the airplane. Units from the nearby on-airport Los Angeles Fire Department fire station responded to the airplane and extinguished the fire within 20 seconds after they arrived on scene. The three maintenance personnel on board the airplane and two ground observers were not injured. Although the airplane and engines were substantially damaged, the Safety Board categorized this event as an incident rather than an accident because there was no intent for flight as defined by 14 CFR 830.2.

The examination of the left engine revealed that it had been cut in two at the HPT module with the front and rear sections of the engine hanging from the respective engine mounts. The HPT stage 1 and 2 disks were both missing from the engine. The HPT stage 2 disk was recovered essentially intact from the run up pad near the airplane. But the HPT stage 1 disk was found in four pieces that were recovered from the left engine's pylon, the belly of the airplane, the right engine's exhaust duct, and from a vacant lot, which was approximately 2,600 feet away from the airplane, on the south side of the airport across runways 7L/25R and 7R/25L. Liberated debris from the left engine resulted in numerous holes in the fuselage as well as the left and right wings that had numerous holes in the fuel tanks from where fuel leaked that fed the fire that burned the left wing and left side of the fuselage aft of the wing.
 
When they do these maximum power checks on the ground, what keeps the engine cool? I would assume it gets a tad bit hotter without any air flowing around it.
 
When they do these maximum power checks on the ground, what keeps the engine cool? I would assume it gets a tad bit hotter without any air flowing around it.
They're cooled by secondary air flowing through the engine. An engine ingests a lot more air than is required for combustion. That excess air cools the engine from the inside.
 
If you fly into the North side of LAX (24L/R) you can still see that bird.

It's in the American MX yard, over towards the Coast Guard Station and Fedex MX.

They cleaned the fuselage, but the engines are off the wing and I'm sure they are just using it for parts...

Cheers
george
 
Man I could only imagine what passangers on other planes thought when that happened. Espicially if one was taking off and they were able to see that.
 
Honest Question:

If this had happened in flight wouldn't the slip stream have prevented or greatly reduced the chance of the debris hitting the other engine?
 
If the stage 1 disc travelled 2600ft, it must have been going damn fast. So the slipstream might not have affected it that much.
 
I love it when they say things like "Liberated debris from the left engine..." If I ever have an engine shell out I am going to remember that.

"Uh boss, I just liberated the #3 piston on the left engine. It is in a much happier place now."

And parts flying 2600' holly smokes! That could poke your eye out!
 
I love it when they say things like "Liberated debris from the left engine..." If I ever have an engine shell out I am going to remember that.

"Uh boss, I just liberated the #3 piston on the left engine. It is in a much happier place now."

And parts flying 2600' holly smokes! That could poke your eye out!

That's the kind of thing that makes you think, This MUST be a Python sketch..

"I've liberated the gear doors, Captain. Shall I lower the undercarraige and inspect the tyres?"

"I'd be surprised if there wasn't some trouble about this"

[yt]xJSey8HRUhU[/yt]
 
That's the kind of thing that makes you think, This MUST be a Python sketch..

"I've liberated the gear doors, Captain. Shall I lower the undercarraige and inspect the tyres?"

"I'd be surprised if there wasn't some trouble about this"

[yt]xJSey8HRUhU[/yt]

Thanks for posting. that is pretty funny. How about this: "I just delivered N123AB to it's final resting place and I will be taking the rest of the day off."
 
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