737 Engine comes of wing in Cape Town
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: CGN, EDDK
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It is easy to damage to cone bolts during installation if the engine change team is not carefull. During my apprenticeship many years ago I had to take part in an engine change of a 737-200. The problem was that there were 5 engineers, who each thought that they were in charge and gave conflicting orders to pull the engine hoists. The result was that a front cone bolt was not aligned properly into it's hole in the vibration damper and got exposed to strong side forces it was not designed to hold (at the undercut below the threaded portion) when the hoists were pulled. After the incident was discovered one stupid engineer just wanted to push it into the right position and continue with the installation. Fortunately the others were brighter and insisted on removing the cone bolts and getting them and the vibration dampers NDT'd. the result was that the affected cone bolt had a hairline crack at it's weakest point.
It is quite possible that other airlines might just swipe an incident like this under the table, leading eventually to an engine seperation in flight.
BTW, on a 737-200, on physically loosing #2 engine you are loosing "A" system hydraulic fluid, #2 generator, R/H pneumatics and fuel from the torn fuel line.
Doing the normal fire drill (throttles to idle, start lever to off, pull fire handle) will close the fuel spar valve and the R/H "A" system hydraulics supply fire shut off valve in the #2 engine driven pump supply line. If done fast enough, the loss of hydraulic fluid will be limited and "A" system will still receive pressure from #1 engine driven pump (It is a long time ago, but IIRC there are some check valves in the "A" system hydraulics module, which would prevent further loss of fluid from the torn pressure line and also the #2 EDP case drain line has IIRC a check valve, I would have to look it up in my old course notes.
"B" system on the 737 jurassic is driven by the EMPD's and would continue to be operational.
It is quite possible that other airlines might just swipe an incident like this under the table, leading eventually to an engine seperation in flight.
BTW, on a 737-200, on physically loosing #2 engine you are loosing "A" system hydraulic fluid, #2 generator, R/H pneumatics and fuel from the torn fuel line.
Doing the normal fire drill (throttles to idle, start lever to off, pull fire handle) will close the fuel spar valve and the R/H "A" system hydraulics supply fire shut off valve in the #2 engine driven pump supply line. If done fast enough, the loss of hydraulic fluid will be limited and "A" system will still receive pressure from #1 engine driven pump (It is a long time ago, but IIRC there are some check valves in the "A" system hydraulics module, which would prevent further loss of fluid from the torn pressure line and also the #2 EDP case drain line has IIRC a check valve, I would have to look it up in my old course notes.
"B" system on the 737 jurassic is driven by the EMPD's and would continue to be operational.
Join Date: Sep 1999
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Whole Nationwide Fleet Grounded
From the Johannesburg Star Newspaper this morning:
"The Civil Aviation Authority grounded all Nationwide aircraft on Thursday night.
Nationwide spokesperson Charmaine Thomé said on Friday morning that the CAA had withdrawn the airline's Aviation Maintenance Organisation licence.
"We've suspended our normal operations because they've suspended our licence," said Thomé.
"Currently we are as confused as you are.
"The reason for it - we have no idea."
She said the licence was suspended on Thursday night and the first flight affected was Friday morning's 6.50am departure from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Thomé said Nationwide CEO Vernon Bricknell was meeting with the CAA and she could not comment further.
The CAA was not immediately available for comment and, in a written statement, referred only to "a decision of public importance regarding the non-compliance of an airline operating in South Africa".
The CAA is the oversight authority for the aviation industry and deals with aviation safety and security.
By early Friday morning, all Nationwide flights listed on the Airports Company SA website for the day were either listed as cancelled or indefinitely delayed. At least 26 Nationwide flights due to leave from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban were affected.
"The Civil Aviation Authority grounded all Nationwide aircraft on Thursday night.
Nationwide spokesperson Charmaine Thomé said on Friday morning that the CAA had withdrawn the airline's Aviation Maintenance Organisation licence.
"We've suspended our normal operations because they've suspended our licence," said Thomé.
"Currently we are as confused as you are.
"The reason for it - we have no idea."
She said the licence was suspended on Thursday night and the first flight affected was Friday morning's 6.50am departure from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Thomé said Nationwide CEO Vernon Bricknell was meeting with the CAA and she could not comment further.
The CAA was not immediately available for comment and, in a written statement, referred only to "a decision of public importance regarding the non-compliance of an airline operating in South Africa".
The CAA is the oversight authority for the aviation industry and deals with aviation safety and security.
By early Friday morning, all Nationwide flights listed on the Airports Company SA website for the day were either listed as cancelled or indefinitely delayed. At least 26 Nationwide flights due to leave from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban were affected.
