AC418 - YYZYUL - A330 343 - engine failure/fuel starvation

[DorianB]

CADORS Number: 2008Q1068 Reporting Region: Quebec

Occurrence Information
Occurrence Type: Incident Occurrence Date: 2008/04/30
Occurrence Time: 2102 Z Day Or Night: day-time
Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0

Canadian Aerodrome ID: CYUL Aerodrome Name: Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau Intl
Occurrence Location: Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau Intl (CYUL) Province: Quebec
Country: CANADA World Area: North America

Reported By: NAV CANADA, CACO AOR Number: 93062-V1
TSB Class Of Investigation: TSB Occurrence No.:
Event Information
Declared emergency/priority
Engine failure
Fuel - exhaustion
Aircraft Information
Flight #: ACA418
Aircraft Category: Aeroplane Country of Registration: CANADA
Make: AIRBUS Model: A330 343
Year Built: 1999 Amateur Built: No
Engine Make: ROLLS ROYCE - UK Engine Model: RB211 TRENT 772B-60
Engine Type: Turbo jet Gear Type: Land
Phase of Flight: Cruise Damage: No Damage
Owner: AIR CANADA Operator: AIR CANADA (5262)
Operator Type: Commercial

Detail Information
User Name: Sirois, Richard
Date: 2008/05/01
Further Action Required: No
O.P.I.: Maintenance & Manufacturing
Narrative: ACA418, un Airbus 330 exploité par Air Canada, effectuait un vol selon les règles de vol aux instruments (IFR) depuis Toronto/Pearson (CYYZ) à destination de Montréal/Trudeau (CYUL). L'équipage a déclaré une urgence, en raison d'une panne moteur et d'un niveau de carburant bas. L'aéronef a atterri à Montréal/Trudeau (CYUL) à 2112Z sans encombre.

[FireLight]

Translates to:
by Google Language Tools

Narrative: ACA418, an Airbus 330 operated by Air Canada, on a flight rules flight instruments (IFR) from Toronto / Pearson (CYYZ) bound for Montreal / Trudeau (CYUL). The crew declared an emergency due to engine failure and a low fuel level. The aircraft landed in Montreal / Trudeau (CYUL) 2112Z without incident.


Is it verified that fuel starvation was the cause of the "engine failure"?

[lomapaseo]

So were the fuel pumps cavitated on both engines?

[J.O.]

Hopefully the moderator will rename this thread to something a little less misleading.

The report does not say "an engine failure because of a low fuel level, it says an engine failure and a low fuel level. Flying any distance on one engine will result in a higher fuel burn than doing so on two engines, particularly if it is a longer distance, because you can't maintain the same altitude that you can on two. It's also likely that this flight, being relatively short, wasn't carrying much in the way of extra fuel.

[AAIGUY]

Not that much more fuel, and not a 45 minute sector.

[DorianB]

The subject line is misleading? Gimme a break.

[FireLight]

The question of interest is whether the fuel levels resulted in the engine failure, or whether there was an engine failure, with the additional factor that they were running short of fuel. (Does reported fuel exhaustion = fuel starvation for one engine?)

Do you have any updated information which shows "fuel starvation"? If so, it completely changes the dynamics and meaning of the incident.

With the "engine failure", the reason could range from having a warning light go on (as per a recent Westjet diversion to Winnipeg), to something more serious. If something went mechanically wrong with the engine, it has one implication. If it was starved of fuel there are other implications - ie., was it a potential "Gimli Glider"?

Thanks

[DorianB]

No further info has been published so it would require insider knowledge.

That being said, an insider has stated that it is not both engine failure and fuel starvation.

[golfyankeesierra]

Handling an engine fail per SOP takes 10 - 15 minutes. Off course you can do it a lot quicker if needs to, but that's how long it takes when we train it in the sim.
Now when did they get the engine failure? Probably in the arrival because they landed at their destination. If it was on departure they would probably have landend in Toronto (not familiar with the distances).
As we all know we don't carry a lot of fuel anymore; on landing it will probably be about 45- 60 minutes.
This means that when you have an engine fail on arrival you are going to land with less then desirable fuel (45 minutes), so you run into a low fuel situation real quick.
And I think it wise to let ATC know.

[DorianB]

508km between the two airports

[investdude]

No. 1 engine flamed out 10 nm from the airport. The engine was restarted and the aircraft landed okay. There is no mention of low fuel.