Airbus Engine Fire pb...restart after use?

[Dunbar]

Hi there,

Just a quick one...if the fire pb is pushed can the engine be re-started in the event of a greater emergency? Any FCOM reference?

Cheers

[PantLoad]

Uh, you mean like you want to maybe buy a pack of condoms after the purser tells you she's pregnant, and it's all your fault!!!!

Nah!!!!!



Fly safe,

PantLoad

[PappyJ]

in the event of a greater emergency? Name one realistic example.

[lomapaseo]

Do you mean like when you pull the wrong fire handle on a twin at 2000 ft?

[cortilla]

Not an airbus pilot, but i'm guessing a worse scenario than an engine fire is if the other completely and utterly seizes. An engine on fire still provides thrust (afterall its the casing around the engine that's on fire, the actual combustion chamber itself is meant to be on fire at all times), whereas a seized engine doesn't.

But lets be fair this scenario is so unlikely that it's nearly not worth training for. Any training you do for this could almost be considered negative training.

[Dunbar]

I lucked in here for answers...

Here's a greater emergency...Kegworth '89, incorrect engine shut down.Birdstrike, followed by a sub idle condition on the live engine...whatever, that isn't the question.

I'm sure that when the pb is pushed the IDG can't be reconnected in flight, but i'm curious as to whether the engine can be relit.

Any Airbus pilots out there?

Cheers

[SMOC]

Returning the pb switch to the normal position should return all the functions, I don't believe the IDG is disconnected, isn't the generator field just de-energized and the line contactor opened?

One issue will be contamination of the hydraulic system but I'm not sure of the impact on the system.

[rudderrudderrat]

Hi Dunbar ,

This wikipedia link:
British_Airways_Flight_9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_9)
describes something like your question. I think the crew shut the first engine down (No 4) using the the "Fire Engine Check List" and pulled the Fire Control Handle (Equivalent to Fire Push Button). After they had lost all 4 engines, the crew decided to attempt to relight them. The first engine to be relit successfully was - No 4. The crew remembered to restore the FCH to it's normal position even though it wasn't mentioned in the QRH then.

A fantastic job!

Provided the Fire Push Button is back in it's normal position, then the engine can be restarted - the only difference is you'll have to reset the generator with an off / on selection when ecam asks you to.

[dixi188]

Just a little point about Airbus posts.
Can you please say which Airbus you are talking about.
The ones I fly on have fire handles and we can re-start after fire shutdown. A300-B4.
Thanks.

[Dunbar]

Of course, I am admonished. A320 series. You can, apparently. And no loss of ancillaries either as far as I can tell.

Thanks for the posts.

[PappyJ]

Do you mean like when you pull the wrong fire handle on a twin at 2000 ft? Where is this control found on an Airbus?

[dixi188]

Pappy j,
Depends which Airbus you are on.
The original ones, A300, had fire handles.

[TyroPicard]

FCOM 1 states that the FIRE pb "deactivates" the IDG - whereas the word used for the effect of the IDG pb is "disconnects". Hope that helps muddy the waters...