Ice/ICE(EK) Baby
I think this investigation is in the hands of the very best professionals. If ice in the fuel resulting in pitting in fuel pumps is the interim conclusion of the cause, then I am sure that is with very good grounding.
There are, however, a few obvious questions:
1. Since the lifting of overflight rights by the Soviets, quite a few years ago, thousand if not millions of aircraft have flown from HKG and Chinese airports over Mongolia and Siberia to Europe with few, if any, similar problems. Also, in the event of fuel freezing, warnings would alert crew to reduce altitude and, whilst understanding that this would not necessarily apply if water was the cause,the problems occured just before landing and, therefore, having already more than adequately responded even should warnings have been made. And there is no suggestion that they were. Did BA038 make a very rapid descent so as not to allow unfreezing or were the pumps so badly pitted by that stage that the ice alone was no longer the problem? Is this, then, a problem unique to the specific design of the fuel pumps in the RR engines on the 777? Is this the reason why UK authorities are "Prodding" Boeing to investigate other engines also?
2. There are other reported incidents (MH ex PER etc.) of unusual 777 power responses to automated commands in conditions far less likely to involve freezing of/in fuel Whilst of course all incidents are entirely different, one wonders which engine types were involved in prior incidents and, if not, what if any other similarities might exist?
Last edited by philipat; 4th Sep 2008 at 16:14.
Reason: Typos