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The hero pilot who saved 152 lives in the Heathrow crash landing is planning to quit British Airways in disgust at the way bosses have treated him.
Originally posted by C0bzz
The wing spar failed. Um, ok. And how exactly does a wing hold together if a wing spar snaps? How you came to that conclusion after watching a low resolution video on youtube beats me. How did you? The common consensus is a flap actuator failure, but I'm not going to claim anything. . As this has only happened on a single aircraft, it hardly warrants a grounding of one thousand aircraft. Neither does the scavenge pump. Until the report comes out, these arguements in favour of banning the 777 are trivial at best.
[edit on 20/3/2008 by C0bzz]
Parameters recorded on the Quick
Access Recorder, Flight Data Recorder and non‑volatile
memory from the Electronic Engine Controller (EEC)
indicate that the engine control system detected the
reduced fuel flow and commanded the fuel metering
valve to open fully. The fuel metering valve responded to
this command and opened fully but with no appreciable
change in the fuel flow to either engine.
Extensive examination of the aircraft and detailed
analysis of the recorded data have revealed no evidence
of an aircraft or engine control system malfunction.
There is no evidence of a wake vortex encounter, a bird
strike or core engine icing. There is no evidence of any
anomalous behaviour of any of the aircraft or engine
systems that suggests electromagnetic interference. The
fuel has been tested extensively; it is of good quality, in
many respects exceeding the appropriate specification,
and shows no evidence of contamination or excessive
water. Detailed examination of the fuel system and pipe
work has found no unusual deterioration or physical
blockages. The spar valves and the aircraft fuel boost
pumps were serviceable and operated correctly during
the flight.
The high pressure (HP) fuel pumps from both
engines have unusual and fresh cavitation damage to the
outlet ports consistent with operation at low inlet pressure.
The evidence to date indicates that both engines had low
fuel pressure at the inlet to the HP pump.
The lowest total air temperature
recorded during the flight was ‑45ºC, and the minimum
recorded fuel temperature was -34ºC. The specified
fuel freezing temperature for Jet A-1 is not above
‑47ºC; analysis of fuel samples taken after the accident
showed the fuel onboard the aircraft complied with the
Jet A-1 specification and had a measured fuel freezing
temperature of -57ºC.
UK investigators believe that ice was the source of the fuel-system restriction which led a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER to experience a loss of engine power on approach to London Heathrow in January, and crash just short of the runway.
In an interim report on the accident today, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has issued three safety recommendations, including one directed specifically at Rolls-Royce Trent 800-powered 777s.
The AAIB is recommending that US and European regulators - in conjunction with Rolls-Royce and Boeing - introduce "interim measures" to reduce the risk of restriction in Trent-equipped 777 fuel-feed systems caused by icing of water in fuel.