America West Incident 27 Apr (Intense Smoke)
 

I am advised that an America West airplane (model unk) experienced severe smoke in the cockpit during an April 27 emergency on a flight from Phoenix to Wash. DC. (Flt 40 or 44?). Possible air contamination from "engine problem" / packs - rather than electrical, but don't know for sure.

Pilots donned smoke masks/goggles and reportedly had to lean to within "inches" of the panel to read their instruments. Emergency landing, but don't know where.

No sign of it on NTSB or FAA Sites - which seems quite unusual for an incident of this nature. Anyone have any details?

Anyone out there carrying EVAS or work for an airline that endorses/provides the sets?

I know that many corporate operations carry them/insist that you carry them.

LINK to SDR here

Extract: AWXA200300437 (27 Apr 03)

STL - DIVERSION - FLT 0044 - EN ROUTE FROM PHX TO DCA AT FL 370 A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD COMING FROM NR
1 ENGINE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A CLOGGED OIL MESSAGE, ALL OTHER PARAMETERS NORMAL. CREW
CONTACTED MOC AND WERE TOLD TO MONITOR ENGINE. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES LATER TWO MORE BANGS
WERE HEARD COMING FROM LT ENGINE, THIS TIME FOLLOWED BY AVIONICS AND CARGO SMOKE INDICATIONS.
COCKPIT AND CABIN FILLED WITH DENSE SMOKE, MASKS DEPLOYED, CREW AND CABIN WENT ON OXYGEN.
DECLARED EMERGENCY AND PREPARED TO DIVERT TO STL, RECEIVED NT 1 ENGINE LOW OIL PRESSURE
INDICATION AND SHUTDOWN ENGINE. AT FL 150 SMOKE BEGAN TO DISSIPATE, AND AT FL 100 CREW WAS ABLE TO
COME OFF OXYGEN, LANDED AT STL WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. MAINTENANCE IN PROCESS OF REPLACING THE NR
1 ENGINE.


Don't know why it didn't appear in FAA or NTSB Monthly summaries (maybe because it conflicts with FAA policy of not mandating carriage of EVAS)

Bravo! Good job.

News Item on the flight
 

Hal Mattern
The Arizona Republic
May. 12, 2003 12:00 AM


America West Airlines is inspecting 47 of its jet engines after one of them shut down during a flight to Washington, D.C., two weeks ago, causing the plane to land in St. Louis.

The incident occurred April 27 on Flight 44 between Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The pilot and some passengers said they heard some thumps and the cabin began filling with smoke.

The two-engine Airbus A319 was diverted to St. Louis and most of the passengers continued to Washington on another plane. No one was injured.

"They told us to put our heads down and prepare for an emergency landing," said Krista Salmon of Mesa, who was on the flight with her father. "Everyone thought we were dead. Nobody thought we would walk away."

Officials of Tempe-based America West said Pratt & Whitney, which made the engine, told them Friday that there had been a few similar incidents involving the engines. There are 650 of the engines in use by airlines.

Mark Sullivan, a spokesman for Pratt & Whitney, said the problem apparently occurred when the coating on an engine shaft flaked off and caused a bearing failure. That resulted in an oily mist resembling smoke to enter the plane. There was no fire, he said.

Sullivan said Pratt & Whitney has recommended that all of its customers do more frequent inspections of the engines and replace the shaft and bearing with a new model during the next maintenance.

America West spokeswoman Janice Monahan said the airline was conducting the recommended inspections and also is doing more extensive checks on its engines.

Salmon praised the pilots and flight attendants for the way they handled the situation, especially since the pilot told the passengers after landing that the cockpit was so smoky it was difficult to see the instruments.