GE CF-6 Engines are required to be shut-down if, at idle, an ENG OIL FILTER CLOG message is still present.
Having in mind that this flight would be an ETOPS one, and that the engine issue came out after 1 hour of flight, rules dictate that the aircraft could not have even entered the ETOPS sector in that condition and that a diversion would have to be made to a suitable airdrome.
It is a stupid thing to do, to fly over water with such warning and it not only puts everyone at jeopardy but will also put at stake the company's ETOPS certification..
It is much better (even much cost effective) to return to the company's facilities, where maintenance have all the required equipment to do the job and where a second aircraft can be scheduled to take the passengers safely to destination, than to take the risk of a worse scenario and get to the destination and find yourself in hands with the problem (and the cost) of having to displace a spare engine and a maintenance crew to do the work outside their base. And remember, mission was not accomplished, because there were certainly passengers waiting to be taken back to Seoul...
I guess people will never learn...
Last edited by aguadalte; 2nd May 2014 at 18:51.
Reason: added text