Quite an uncontained engine failure
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Word I'm hearing is one fan blade completely missing.
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One AME's opinion making the rounds:
From what I can see, no significant portion of fan is missing, all components affected are forward of the fan. We've seen early indications of this sort of thing and it is something I've been watching for for some time but until now have yet to see it this bad.
When metal work ie. repairs/patches, are done on the nose cowl, frequently rivet ends, tails and other swarf are left behind, inside the nose cowl. The nose cowl anti-ice air swirls these bits around abrading the inside surface of the cowl - counter clockwise when viewed from the front looking back, from about the 8:00 position. The worst damage is from about the 7:00 to about the 1:00 position.
I have seen where all the rivet bucks and a significant portion of the skin have been eroded away...to a significant percentage of skin thickness. There is no external indication until a lot of the rivets at the aft end of the nose cowl are loose/smoking. Any cowl that has been repaired with blind fasteners, particularly repeatedly, could potentially have very hard cherry pulls (blind fastener components) left inside the cowl. When a nose cowl is removed/replaced, the interior is still not visible and it would be unusual (until this) to look in the locations I'm talking about. These locations are only visible when the cowl itself is disassembled. In my opinion an over-pressure of the nose cowl is highly unlikely due the size of the vent for that air.
When metal work ie. repairs/patches, are done on the nose cowl, frequently rivet ends, tails and other swarf are left behind, inside the nose cowl. The nose cowl anti-ice air swirls these bits around abrading the inside surface of the cowl - counter clockwise when viewed from the front looking back, from about the 8:00 position. The worst damage is from about the 7:00 to about the 1:00 position.
I have seen where all the rivet bucks and a significant portion of the skin have been eroded away...to a significant percentage of skin thickness. There is no external indication until a lot of the rivets at the aft end of the nose cowl are loose/smoking. Any cowl that has been repaired with blind fasteners, particularly repeatedly, could potentially have very hard cherry pulls (blind fastener components) left inside the cowl. When a nose cowl is removed/replaced, the interior is still not visible and it would be unusual (until this) to look in the locations I'm talking about. These locations are only visible when the cowl itself is disassembled. In my opinion an over-pressure of the nose cowl is highly unlikely due the size of the vent for that air.
My gut says this is a cowl failure due to fatigue or other wear and tear (thanks, Riverman), with an engine surge as a secondary effect (disruption of intake air after the cowl departed, or ingestion of inlet shards).
But since the NTSB has not made my gut a job offer - I'll be happy to see what the real engine detectives find out.
Certainly an - interesting - failure mode. Outer cowl separated cleanly at the bulkhead; inner cowl ripped to shreds, except where there are a couple of reinforcement struts.
But since the NTSB has not made my gut a job offer - I'll be happy to see what the real engine detectives find out.
Certainly an - interesting - failure mode. Outer cowl separated cleanly at the bulkhead; inner cowl ripped to shreds, except where there are a couple of reinforcement struts.
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The hole in the fuselage is big enough to decompress the cabin. The cabin altitude was high (aprox 6000 feet) and climbing before the failure and when the pilots started the emergency descent the auto throttles command flight idle on the #2 engine and it is then that the engine does not produce enough bleed air to keep the cabin pressurised even if the outflow valve closes completely. Then the masks fall automatically.
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Quote:
What are those two red levers? just to the left and right of top center of the nacelle and just forward of the pylon? They look like they ought to be pushed down into their slots.
I believe those just "appear" to be latches and we likely see some stress induced seam separation of the pylon or fan cowl assys. Nose/inlet cowl isn't attached using just quick release latches.
What are those two red levers? just to the left and right of top center of the nacelle and just forward of the pylon? They look like they ought to be pushed down into their slots.
I believe those just "appear" to be latches and we likely see some stress induced seam separation of the pylon or fan cowl assys. Nose/inlet cowl isn't attached using just quick release latches.
Kathryn's Report: Southwest Airlines, Boeing 737-7H4, N766SW: Incident occurred August 27, 2016 at Pensacola International Airport (KPNS), Escambia County, Florida
Likely fan cowl latches? Cause or effect? Doubt cause and if adjusted properly should not have released and popped up after inlet cowl separation. Will be interesting to get the answers.
......
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Strange in newspapers, PAX taking selfies in masks.
Southwest Airlines flight forced to divert after part of an engine was 'torn away' | Daily Mail Online
Oh, were all going to die, lets take a selfie !
Southwest Airlines flight forced to divert after part of an engine was 'torn away' | Daily Mail Online
Oh, were all going to die, lets take a selfie !
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Cowling separated...?
Interesting to find
Interesting to find
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The latches on top of the pylon (which is where the bleed/anti-ice duct supplies the hot air to the intake piccolo tube) are access panels, but they also act as blow-out panels (the latches unlatch and the panel) incase of overpressure in the pylon area.
The excess pressure was probably what caused the Engine Inlet to separate. Maybe due to a failed bleed valve or engine compressor surge.
The excess pressure was probably what caused the Engine Inlet to separate. Maybe due to a failed bleed valve or engine compressor surge.
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I'm sure there was a previous 737 th engine failure where the damage was on the rh fuselage BUT there was also damage to the left had fuselage side as well.
when it goes wrong as speed had altitude sometimes WEIRD things happen.
when it goes wrong as speed had altitude sometimes WEIRD things happen.
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My only experience with a thrown fan blade was on a B-52H, and there the sound was a very loud 'honk', like an organ note.
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Southwest engine 'problem'
Quite the 'problem' I would say!
Florida-bound Boeing plane diverted after engine problem | KING5.com
Florida-bound Boeing plane diverted after engine problem | KING5.com
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Agreed, i dont think the blade (if there is one missing) hit the fuselage, My guess is it was was the end of the (anti-ice?) pipe which is bent back in that direction.
To me it doesn't seem to be an uncontaminated failure, rather a surge that has damaged the cowl enough for it to disintegrate.
To me it doesn't seem to be an uncontaminated failure, rather a surge that has damaged the cowl enough for it to disintegrate.
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Fan blades don't come off on their own - they tend to take some of their mates with them ! I can see no evidence at all of a fan set distress in the pictures I have seen.