Incident at Heathrow
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I was informed that this situation end happened so often, Airbus had a special team to make repairs, in our case, the leading edge flaps were accidentally dropped during the repair, making the cost of our repair $1,000,000.00 USD 😳
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Solution
Solution: flight deck warning of all unlatched access panels or doors that could hazard the aircraft if left unfastened, unlatched engine cowls are the most important, why Airbus is still ignoring this recurring issue is a mistery. All incidents of this type have occurred despite multiple visual checks by engineers and pilots, clearly a misleading design which must be fixed asap.
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With all due respect, the faulty parts not designed or built in Toulouse. They are designed in Chula Vista, California, and assembled in Foley, Alabama using latch components from Placentia, CA.
Solution: flight deck warning of all unlatched access panels or doors that could hazard the aircraft if left unfastened, unlatched engine cowls are the most important, why Airbus is still ignoring this recurring issue is a mistery. All incidents of this type have occurred despite multiple visual checks by engineers and pilots, clearly a misleading design which must be fixed asap.
The comparison with the DC-10 cargo door is a good one. Yes, the cowl latches will be redesigned, but only once the current design has killed a planeload of passengers.
Today's incident hasn't changed anything, it's just another statistic.
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My old lot has had, I believe, 3 instances of cowl departure on, umm, departure. 3 different types.
The 146 engine 3 cowls opened and snagged the throttle linkages/control lines and smashed the throttle back to the stop hard enough to bend it. Result was effectively an engine failure.
An E195 lost one in Jersey because the latches hadn't been fastened post maintenance. Continued to, I think, Birmingham with no adverse handling. They only found out after landing when someone mentioned they may have left something behind. Jersey airport authorities then found the bits, in the grass luckily
Q400 had one on rotation which damaged the leading edge deice boots, swift RTB but no adverse handling effects. Red faces were apparent, apparently.
It was only after the 195 incident that the cowl latches became part of the external check. They are right at the bottom of the engine and hard to see even if you're looking for them.
Maybe BA will amend their external checklist now, if it wasn't included already.
The 146 engine 3 cowls opened and snagged the throttle linkages/control lines and smashed the throttle back to the stop hard enough to bend it. Result was effectively an engine failure.
An E195 lost one in Jersey because the latches hadn't been fastened post maintenance. Continued to, I think, Birmingham with no adverse handling. They only found out after landing when someone mentioned they may have left something behind. Jersey airport authorities then found the bits, in the grass luckily
Q400 had one on rotation which damaged the leading edge deice boots, swift RTB but no adverse handling effects. Red faces were apparent, apparently.
It was only after the 195 incident that the cowl latches became part of the external check. They are right at the bottom of the engine and hard to see even if you're looking for them.
Maybe BA will amend their external checklist now, if it wasn't included already.
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V2500 Cowl Video
Cool heads prevailed. People make mistakes. I'm very glad to see they were all made prior to V1.
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I can't believe the idiots on here criticising the choice to return to LHR.
It was a successful and safe outcome. Just because you're closer to one airport when you're at 10000ft doesn't make it the best choice.
These pilots did a great job and I'm gobsmacked that posters claiming to be professional pilots are commenting when they weren't on the flight deck and they have no idea of the thought process that the pilots undertook. The aircraft landed, no one was injured and the aircraft will fly again. what more do you want?
It was a successful and safe outcome. Just because you're closer to one airport when you're at 10000ft doesn't make it the best choice.
These pilots did a great job and I'm gobsmacked that posters claiming to be professional pilots are commenting when they weren't on the flight deck and they have no idea of the thought process that the pilots undertook. The aircraft landed, no one was injured and the aircraft will fly again. what more do you want?
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Knowing BAs' 'just culture' as I do, I'm glad I wasn't the Captain of this a/c.
Poor guy is up for a giant bottom reaming session.
They're jolly nice to the passengers tho........
Poor guy is up for a giant bottom reaming session.
They're jolly nice to the passengers tho........
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Airbus redesign of V2500 cowls
It is always unpleasant to see facts get in the way of a good session of Airbus bashing… but could we put to rest the misconceived notion that the V2500 engine is manufactured by Airbus, in Toulouse, clumsily assembled by nonchalant, garlic scented workers, fully equipped with « bérets » and « baguettes »?
The V2500 is made by IAE International Aero Engines AG, a Swiss-based joint venture between Pratt & Whitney United States, Pratt & Whitney Switzerland, Japanese Aero Engine Corporation of Japan and MTU Aero Engines of Germany. Sad, I know.To add insult to injury, as “Slacktide”put it diplomatically in post #267: “With all due respect, the faulty parts (are) not designed or built in Toulouse. They are designed in Chula Vista, California, and assembled in Foley, Alabama using latch components from Placentia, CA.” Ooops… Freedom fries anyone?
Furthermore, A319 operators are free to choose between various IAE engines or CFM power plants…
So the likelihood to see Airbus “redesign” on its own initiative engine cowls developed by IAE and manufactured by the finest of the U.S. industry is pretty slim indeed. And, no, any comparison with the infamous DC-10 cargo door is not “good” but totally baseless.
The V2500 is made by IAE International Aero Engines AG, a Swiss-based joint venture between Pratt & Whitney United States, Pratt & Whitney Switzerland, Japanese Aero Engine Corporation of Japan and MTU Aero Engines of Germany. Sad, I know.To add insult to injury, as “Slacktide”put it diplomatically in post #267: “With all due respect, the faulty parts (are) not designed or built in Toulouse. They are designed in Chula Vista, California, and assembled in Foley, Alabama using latch components from Placentia, CA.” Ooops… Freedom fries anyone?
Furthermore, A319 operators are free to choose between various IAE engines or CFM power plants…
So the likelihood to see Airbus “redesign” on its own initiative engine cowls developed by IAE and manufactured by the finest of the U.S. industry is pretty slim indeed. And, no, any comparison with the infamous DC-10 cargo door is not “good” but totally baseless.
Last edited by Agnostique75; 25th May 2013 at 00:12.
At risk of drawing fire here with all the name calling and abuse I see in this thread, can someone explain where the walk around crew member stands in the blame game? Is this something he/she should reasonably have seen or is it a thing that is taken as being outside the scope of a walk around?
Thanks
Thanks
Since when does an airplane inreface part like an engine cowl come under part 33 of the airworthiness regulations ?
It makes little difference who manufactures it or even designs it? It is certified as airworthy by the aircraft maker to his standards and thence to his airworthiness authority.
So who's name is on the Service Bulletin that addressed this issue in the past?
It makes little difference who manufactures it or even designs it? It is certified as airworthy by the aircraft maker to his standards and thence to his airworthiness authority.
So who's name is on the Service Bulletin that addressed this issue in the past?
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Excuse me, but is not to big issue when these 'things' come loose is that there is no way to know where they will go. What would happen if they severely damaged the horizontal stabelizers? I would posit that the crew and passengers really did dodge a bullet.
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No American bashing here, DH call. I just got a little annoyed by the repeated references to the V2500 as a product designed and/or manufactured by Airbus and the subsequent questioning as to why Airbus failed to redesign the offending parts.
I would certainly not suggest that the V2500 is anything than a good and reliable engine, proven over many flight hours, as are the CFM products, resulting from a joint-venture between Snecma from France and General Electrics from the United States.
And I’m sorry if putting the facts straight has hurt anyone’s national pride…
Now, in this particular case and at this stage, most sensible people would not discount the plain good old “human factor”. We’ll see…
I would certainly not suggest that the V2500 is anything than a good and reliable engine, proven over many flight hours, as are the CFM products, resulting from a joint-venture between Snecma from France and General Electrics from the United States.
And I’m sorry if putting the facts straight has hurt anyone’s national pride…
Now, in this particular case and at this stage, most sensible people would not discount the plain good old “human factor”. We’ll see…
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Lots of talk here about aircraft design, maintenance procedures and so on.
If the final report shows that the engines were left un latched, then it boils down to an inexcusable act by both the engineering team AND the pilots.
Aviation learns from its mistakes, thus why we have second engineers checking and counter signing work once complete. The flight crew should also have noticed this on their walk around. It is a known area of concern, not just on this aircraft/engine, but any where the cowl latches are of a 'stealthy' design. If they didn't look, they didn't see it, and thus inexcusable.
Not to take away from the skills demonstrated later, just to to say this could likely have been avoided all together.
If the final report shows that the engines were left un latched, then it boils down to an inexcusable act by both the engineering team AND the pilots.
Aviation learns from its mistakes, thus why we have second engineers checking and counter signing work once complete. The flight crew should also have noticed this on their walk around. It is a known area of concern, not just on this aircraft/engine, but any where the cowl latches are of a 'stealthy' design. If they didn't look, they didn't see it, and thus inexcusable.
Not to take away from the skills demonstrated later, just to to say this could likely have been avoided all together.
