PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - 3-engine 747 NAT crossings becoming the norm
Old 21st Dec 2011, 14:17
  #34 (permalink)  
SeenItAll
 
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Quote:
Remember the EAL L1011 that had the oil changed in all three of its engines by one mechanic, who forgot to reinstall new O-rings on each of the engines' drain plugs.

In that scenario, it doesn't matter how many engines you have, surely?
Actually, I think it did. If my recollection serves me right, the first engine to indicate low oil was the center one, so it was shut down in-flight and the return commenced on Nos. 1 and 3. But as it progressed, both Nos. 1 and 3 showed low oil but were not shut down, and so they failed. While gliding dead stick, the crew was able to get No. 2 restarted (because it still had some oil in it), and gained enough altitude to make it back to MIA. My understanding is that once on the taxiway, No. 2 then permanently gave up the ghost.

Thus, having more than two engines allowed the crew to handle their failures diversely, and this may have been the key to a successful outcome.
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