LATAM 787-9 sudden drop in cruise
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LATAM 787-9 sudden drop in cruise
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/latam-...DDZJ3USYZYL5M/
Seems like a significant event, not linked to turbulence. Jokat said the pilot came to the back of the plane once the plane landed.
“I asked him ‘what happened?’ and he said to me ‘I lost my instrumentation briefly and then it just came back all of a sudden’.
Seems like a significant event, not linked to turbulence. Jokat said the pilot came to the back of the plane once the plane landed.
“I asked him ‘what happened?’ and he said to me ‘I lost my instrumentation briefly and then it just came back all of a sudden’.
A passenger two seats away from him was not wearing his seatbelt, and flew up and hit the ceiling, Jokat said.
“I thought I was dreaming. I opened my eyes and he was on the roof of the plane on his back, looking down on me. It was like The Exorcist.”
“I thought I was dreaming. I opened my eyes and he was on the roof of the plane on his back, looking down on me. It was like The Exorcist.”
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I have a feeling I've read of similar situations over this part of Australia and there was a suggestion that high magnetic fields produced by the iron mines were affecting the controls. Anyone remember?
Yes i do remember and it had nothing to do with high magnetic fields produced by iron mines. The two incidents you are referring to were both investigated by the ATSB and there was no evidence of external influences on the aircraft. The LATAM incident was over the Tasman Sea close to NZ where there are no iron ore deposits or US military facilities so what exactly is your point?
In-flight upset of QANTAS Airbus A330-303, VH-QPA, 154 km west of Learmonth, WA, 7 October 2008? ATSB report at:
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...ir/ao-2008-070
Location very different and report indicates cause was equipment generating spurious output.
Description of this 787 incident so far seems quite different.
From the ABC (Australian Media)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-...ult-/103575616
In an interview with the ABC, Mr Jokat said he spoke to the pilot once they were on the ground in Auckland.
"When we landed, the medics were on board instantly and people were clapping and joyous … and people were still wincing in pain and there was a lot of groaning going on," he said.
"The pilot actually showed up at the back of plane kind of wanting to see with his own eyes what had transpired and I approached him and said, 'What was that?'
"He said, 'I lost control of the plane. The gauges went blank for a second.' And then he said they came back on miraculously and the plane just righted itself on its own."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-...ult-/103575616
In an interview with the ABC, Mr Jokat said he spoke to the pilot once they were on the ground in Auckland.
"When we landed, the medics were on board instantly and people were clapping and joyous … and people were still wincing in pain and there was a lot of groaning going on," he said.
"The pilot actually showed up at the back of plane kind of wanting to see with his own eyes what had transpired and I approached him and said, 'What was that?'
"He said, 'I lost control of the plane. The gauges went blank for a second.' And then he said they came back on miraculously and the plane just righted itself on its own."
Over the Tasman Sea? Is that even 'part of Australia'?
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-mome...eparate-colony
One comforting thought is when pilotless cockpits come about. (Facetious comment)
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Somone on reddit posted about this old Dreamliner issue which sounds at least vaguely similar to what the the pilot reported in Cloudee's comment above.
They also said there's been no notice from Boeing that the issue was ever fixed. Maybe some 787 pilots can confirm?
From 2016:
http://www.seattletimes.com/business...ce-in-a-while/
They also said there's been no notice from Boeing that the issue was ever fixed. Maybe some 787 pilots can confirm?
From 2016:
http://www.seattletimes.com/business...ce-in-a-while/
Industry wide problem. https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/...lines_to_turn/ 190 hours instead of 22 days.
Industry wide problem. https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/...lines_to_turn/ 190 hours instead of 22 days.
Industry wide problem. https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/...lines_to_turn/ 190 hours instead of 22 days.
What on earth happened in this amazing/worrying incident !
Should ALL B787s be grounded until answers ( and solutions ) are provided by Boeing ??
BEFORE SPECULATION runs rife!
Eg 2016
The FAA is mandating that operators of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner periodically reset the power on the airplane to avoid a glitch that could cause all three computer modules that manage the jet’s flight control surfaces to briefly stop working while in flight.
???
PS presumably if this had happened at low level the ac would have crashed?
Should ALL B787s be grounded until answers ( and solutions ) are provided by Boeing ??
BEFORE SPECULATION runs rife!
Eg 2016
The FAA is mandating that operators of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner periodically reset the power on the airplane to avoid a glitch that could cause all three computer modules that manage the jet’s flight control surfaces to briefly stop working while in flight.
???
PS presumably if this had happened at low level the ac would have crashed?
Last edited by mahogany bob; 12th Mar 2024 at 07:28.
Were airlines appropriately cautious they would park them for a few days while the initial readback of the FDR and CVRs was done. They should not wait for a government order to do so.
I see there was also another time problem / counter rollover identified on 787 that fits the symptoms very well:
"More trouble for Dreamliner as Federal Aviation Administration warns glitch in control unit causes generators to shut down if left powered on for 248 days"
https://www.theguardian.com/business...oss-of-control
Per the AD:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-insp...2015-10066.pdf
This is superseded by AD 2018-20-15 to install new software. See https://ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/US-2018-20-15 et al.
The 22 day version refers to a similar counter bug in the computers for flight controls.
I see there was also another time problem / counter rollover identified on 787 that fits the symptoms very well:
"More trouble for Dreamliner as Federal Aviation Administration warns glitch in control unit causes generators to shut down if left powered on for 248 days"
"The US air safety authority has issued a warning and maintenance order over a software bug that causes a complete electric shutdown of Boeing’s 787 and potentially “loss of control” of the aircraft.
In the latest of a long line of problems plaguing Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which saw the company’s fleet grounded over battery issues and concerns raised over possible hacking vulnerabilities, the new software bug was found in plane’s generator-control units.
The plane’s electrical generators fall into a failsafe mode if kept continuously powered on for 248 days. The 787 has four such main generator-control units that, if powered on at the same time, could fail simultaneously and cause a complete electrical shutdown.
We are issuing this AD [airworthiness directive] to prevent loss of all AC electrical power, which could result in loss of control of the aeroplane,” said the Federal Aviation Administration directive. “If the four main generator control units (associated with the engine-mounted generators) were powered up at the same time, after 248 days of continuous power, all four GCUs will go into failsafe mode at the same time, resulting in a loss of all AC electrical power regardless of flight phase.”
In the latest of a long line of problems plaguing Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which saw the company’s fleet grounded over battery issues and concerns raised over possible hacking vulnerabilities, the new software bug was found in plane’s generator-control units.
The plane’s electrical generators fall into a failsafe mode if kept continuously powered on for 248 days. The 787 has four such main generator-control units that, if powered on at the same time, could fail simultaneously and cause a complete electrical shutdown.
We are issuing this AD [airworthiness directive] to prevent loss of all AC electrical power, which could result in loss of control of the aeroplane,” said the Federal Aviation Administration directive. “If the four main generator control units (associated with the engine-mounted generators) were powered up at the same time, after 248 days of continuous power, all four GCUs will go into failsafe mode at the same time, resulting in a loss of all AC electrical power regardless of flight phase.”
Per the AD:
We have been advised by Boeing of an issue identified during laboratory testing.
The software counter internal to the generator control units (GCUs) will overflow after
248 days of continuous power, causing that GCU to go into failsafe mode. If the four
main GCUs (associated with the engine mounted generators) were powered up at the
same time, after 248 days of continuous power, all four GCUs will go into failsafe mode
at the same time, resulting in a loss of all AC electrical power regardless of flight phase.
The software counter internal to the generator control units (GCUs) will overflow after
248 days of continuous power, causing that GCU to go into failsafe mode. If the four
main GCUs (associated with the engine mounted generators) were powered up at the
same time, after 248 days of continuous power, all four GCUs will go into failsafe mode
at the same time, resulting in a loss of all AC electrical power regardless of flight phase.
This is superseded by AD 2018-20-15 to install new software. See https://ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/US-2018-20-15 et al.
SUMMARY: We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-09-07, which applied to all
The Boeing Company Model 787 airplanes. AD 2015-09-07 required a repetitive maintenance task
for electrical power deactivation. This AD requires installing new software for the generator control
unit (GCU). This AD also removes certain airplanes from the applicability. This AD was prompted
by the determination that a Model 787 airplane that has been powered continuously for 248 days can
lose all alternating current (AC) electrical power due to the GCUs simultaneously going into failsafe
mode. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
The Boeing Company Model 787 airplanes. AD 2015-09-07 required a repetitive maintenance task
for electrical power deactivation. This AD requires installing new software for the generator control
unit (GCU). This AD also removes certain airplanes from the applicability. This AD was prompted
by the determination that a Model 787 airplane that has been powered continuously for 248 days can
lose all alternating current (AC) electrical power due to the GCUs simultaneously going into failsafe
mode. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
If it is a reoccurence of the old value overflow bug, it then becomes interesting to know the service history of this aircraft!
If that problem is still being addressed by "switch it off and then on again", that sounds exactly like the kind of problem that shouldn't be allowed to exist. It'd be in the same category as the MAX anti-ice issue - a note to pilots is not enough. I'm not certain of the current status of that issue, but I really hope it has been fully addressed.
If that problem is still being addressed by "switch it off and then on again", that sounds exactly like the kind of problem that shouldn't be allowed to exist. It'd be in the same category as the MAX anti-ice issue - a note to pilots is not enough. I'm not certain of the current status of that issue, but I really hope it has been fully addressed.
If it is a reoccurence of the old value overflow bug, it then becomes interesting to know the service history of this aircraft!
If that problem is still being addressed by "switch it off and then on again", that sounds exactly like the kind of problem that shouldn't be allowed to exist. It'd be in the same category as the MAX anti-ice issue - a note to pilots is not enough. I'm not certain of the current status of that issue, but I really hope it has been fully addressed.
If that problem is still being addressed by "switch it off and then on again", that sounds exactly like the kind of problem that shouldn't be allowed to exist. It'd be in the same category as the MAX anti-ice issue - a note to pilots is not enough. I'm not certain of the current status of that issue, but I really hope it has been fully addressed.