AF66 CDG-LAX (A388-F-HPJE) diverts to Goose Bay (YYR) with an uncontained engine failure to #4 engine

SheikhDjibouti · Wed Dec 06, 2017 7:14 pm

7BOEING7 wrote:
If it's at FL410, it's got all four engines running.

3 engine ferry flights are not limited to 10,000 ft TMK (unless there is also a pressurization issue), but it might have been required to stay out of the "tracks".

Yep; I've fixed that already - it was just a speed restriction below FL100. I kinda knew it didn't make sense, which is why I checked my facts as quick as I could. Unfortunately I had already posted the wrong info.... :lol:

Siren · Wed Dec 06, 2017 7:46 pm

It ha to be operating with all four engines. FL410 at 513 kts ground speed? There's no way it's on a dead engine. Impossible. It would be down to 30,000 at the highest on 3 engines.

7BOEING7 · Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:12 pm

Siren wrote:
It ha to be operating with all four engines. FL410 at 513 kts ground speed? There's no way it's on a dead engine. Impossible. It would be down to 30,000 at the highest on 3 engines.

Actually, looking at performance on a 744 (I don't have the A380 info) based on the extremely light weight it will be at -- no passengers, baggage, etc and fuel for a fairly short trip -- FL350-370 could be achievable. There is a difference between drifting down to/climbing up to an altitude but its minimal.

SheikhDjibouti · Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:43 pm

Just another update at 20:30
F-HPJE is overhead the south of England, maybe 40 miles SW from LGW, still at 41,000 ft.

With clear skies and a bright moon, somebody with sharp eyesight might even be able to detect four vapour trails.

Correction; crossing the south coast now, passing overhead Brighton, and just beginning it's descent with 270km to go.

MANMatthew · Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:46 pm

Looking forward to seeing a picture of her back at CDG.

D L X · Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:47 pm

citationjet wrote:
Looks like A380 is being ferried from Goose Bay to Paris today (Dec 6, 2017). It is currently in flight.

You don't say.

(Look at the past 10 or so responses.)

pugman211 · Wed Dec 06, 2017 9:11 pm

She's nearly home in France

AngMoh · Wed Dec 06, 2017 11:54 pm

D L X wrote:
citationjet wrote:
Looks like A380 is being ferried from Goose Bay to Paris today (Dec 6, 2017). It is currently in flight.

You don't say.

(Look at the past 10 or so responses.)

It might not be the poster. There is an issue with sequences of postings probably depending on time zone/browser. I have posted before and when I checked a couple of hours later there are a number of new postings appearing ahead of me.

Revelation · Thu Dec 07, 2017 2:27 am

AngMoh wrote:
D L X wrote:
citationjet wrote:
Looks like A380 is being ferried from Goose Bay to Paris today (Dec 6, 2017). It is currently in flight.

You don't say.

(Look at the past 10 or so responses.)

It might not be the poster. There is an issue with sequences of postings probably depending on time zone/browser. I have posted before and when I checked a couple of hours later there are a number of new postings appearing ahead of me.

And... there's the case where the mods merge two threads together which happens a lot when people open multiple threads on the same topic.

KarelXWB · Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:02 pm

Not the best quality but here is the a/c with its replacement engine installed, before heading to CDG:

https://twitter.com/gilleslaurent81/sta ... 5659484161

BirdBrain · Thu Dec 07, 2017 3:31 pm

Who needs Google, when you have KarelXWB. But seriously, thanks for all your contributions. Very much appreciated.

Looks like this bird will be back in service soon.

hOMSaR · Thu Dec 07, 2017 7:54 pm

7BOEING7 wrote:
sharles wrote:
Another reason to not certify "pure" three engine ferry on the A380: when the 747 was developed, engine reliability was way lower, so there was a better cost/benefit ratio. With the A380, it IMHO was deemed an unnecessary expense to certify the engine removed case, while the engine disabled case was a lower extra expense.

If by "pure" you mean "no engine attached", I don't think anybody ever certified that (in modern history), including Boeing for the 747.

If I'm reading the description in this photo correctly, it has happened at least once with a 747.

Pontius · Thu Dec 07, 2017 8:44 pm

The only 45 minutes I've ever spent in Goose Bay, and I happened to catch F-HPJE / AF66 / AF371V departing in the snow. Sorry for the quality, it was rushed:

Revelation · Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:26 pm

Pontius wrote:
The only 45 minutes I've ever spent in Goose Bay, and I happened to catch F-HPJE / AF66 / AF371V departing in the snow.

WIederling · Fri Dec 08, 2017 9:46 am

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... da-443971/

FG wrote:
Air France tells FlightGlobal that its own crew, rather than Airbus personnel, flew the aircraft back to Paris Charles de Gaulle on 6 December. It landed around 22:00.

The aircraft has been taken to the H6 hangar at the airport, a facility which was specifically designed for A380 maintenance.

gregorous · Tue Dec 12, 2017 6:51 pm

Pontius wrote:
The only 45 minutes I've ever spent in Goose Bay, and I happened to catch F-HPJE / AF66 / AF371V departing in the snow. Sorry for the quality, it was rushed:

Amazing!

FlySSC · Wed Dec 13, 2017 12:28 pm

F-HPJE is scheduled to return to service by mid-January 2018

KarelXWB · Wed Dec 13, 2017 12:33 pm

WIederling wrote:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/air-france-retrieves-stranded-a380-from-canada-443971/

FG wrote:
Air France tells FlightGlobal that its own crew, rather than Airbus personnel, flew the aircraft back to Paris Charles de Gaulle on 6 December. It landed around 22:00.

The aircraft has been taken to the H6 hangar at the airport, a facility which was specifically designed for A380 maintenance.

Article also states the aircraft will undergo checks for a few weeks before returning to service. So not fully repaired yet.

LamboAston · Sat Dec 16, 2017 4:36 am

Wing was repaired sufficiently for all engines to operate

Planesmart · Sat Dec 16, 2017 5:33 am

LamboAston wrote:
Wing was repaired sufficiently for all engines to operate

But not through the full thrust range range. Insurance was conditional on the engine running on the ground and in the air.

Marcello47 · Mon Dec 18, 2017 9:40 pm

I've noticed A380 involved in Goose Bay emergency has returned Dec. 6th, 2017 to Paris. With a new engine (but not running) in place of exploded one (which has been separately sent to UK to be inspected). The return flight took place with only 3 engines running as the replaced one was put in place just for weight balancing purpose...

D L X · Mon Dec 18, 2017 9:53 pm

Marcello47 wrote:
I've noticed A380 involved in Goose Bay emergency has returned Dec. 6th, 2017 to Paris. With a new engine (but not running) in place of exploded one (which has been separately sent to UK to be inspected). The return flight took place with only 3 engines running as the replaced one was put in place just for weight balancing purpose...

According to many of the posts on the last two pages, your statement is incorrect. The plane is in Paris, but it did not fly there on only 3 engines.

notaxonrotax · Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:48 pm

D L X wrote:
Marcello47 wrote:
I've noticed A380 involved in Goose Bay emergency has returned Dec. 6th, 2017 to Paris. With a new engine (but not running) in place of exploded one (which has been separately sent to UK to be inspected). The return flight took place with only 3 engines running as the replaced one was put in place just for weight balancing purpose...

According to many of the posts on the last two pages, your statement is incorrect. The plane is in Paris, but it did not fly there on only 3 engines.

So what was it? 3 or 4!??

No Tax On Rotax

Revelation · Fri Dec 22, 2017 1:00 pm

notaxonrotax wrote:
D L X wrote:
Marcello47 wrote:
I've noticed A380 involved in Goose Bay emergency has returned Dec. 6th, 2017 to Paris. With a new engine (but not running) in place of exploded one (which has been separately sent to UK to be inspected). The return flight took place with only 3 engines running as the replaced one was put in place just for weight balancing purpose...

According to many of the posts on the last two pages, your statement is incorrect. The plane is in Paris, but it did not fly there on only 3 engines.

So what was it? 3 or 4!??

No Tax On Rotax

Please read the thread. It was on four engines. The A380 could not maintain the altitude it did (even empty) on just 3 engines.

xxD328xx · Fri Dec 22, 2017 1:09 pm

4 engines were running, indirectly confirmed by Air France:

https://twitter.com/flightradar24/statu ... 5845009408

Air France has just confirmed to us that F-HPJE is indeed operating on 4 engines back to Paris.

Appears the aircraft was able to be repaired to a state where a 3-engine ferry was not necessary.

D L X · Fri Dec 22, 2017 4:00 pm

You know what this episode and QF32 are showing us?

The A380 is one tough bird.

boeing767300 · Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:36 pm

I check R-24 daily and the aircraft has not yet returned to service. Presume final repairs are still ongoing?

TC957 · Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:15 pm

boeing767300 wrote:
I check R-24 daily and the aircraft has not yet returned to service. Presume final repairs are still ongoing?

As per a post above, she's due back in service Mid-January all being well.

Revelation · Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:16 pm

boeing767300 wrote:
I check R-24 daily and the aircraft has not yet returned to service. Presume final repairs are still ongoing?

Maybe it got dirty sitting on the ground so long at YYR and AF is still looking to find the expert technicians who can perform the 'washing' procedure?

iahcsr · Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:07 am

Per FlightAware F-HPJE appears to have made its first revenue flight CDGJNB AF990 15Jan

FW200 · Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:08 pm

I wonder if it still has fitted the engine which had been taken from MSN4?

https://twitter.com/MuseeAirEspace/status/915823458667331584

Catfry · Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:42 am

Any news about the investigation into the engine incident? The only news I have found is a months old article behind a paywall, saying the french BEA may send a team of investigators to Greenland to search for more engine parts. By this point I expect any remaining parts to be frozen beneath at least a couple centimeters of ice and snow. That they attempt to undertake this search now could be an indication that they do not have enough material to examine, to discover the root cause.
http://aviationweek.com/awincommercial/ ... -greenland

Faro · Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:01 am

Catfry wrote:
Any news about the investigation into the engine incident? The only news I have found is a months old article behind a paywall, saying the french BEA may send a team of investigators to Greenland to search for more engine parts. By this point I expect any remaining parts to be frozen beneath at least a couple centimeters of ice and snow. That they attempt to undertake this search now could be an indication that they do not have enough material to examine, to discover the root cause.
http://aviationweek.com/awincommercial/ ... -greenland

Yes yes yes!!...where are we at in terms of the investigative procedure?...any news/rumours?...just what happened and why?...

Faro

WIederling · Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:50 am

Revelation wrote:
boeing767300 wrote:
I check R-24 daily and the aircraft has not yet returned to service. Presume final repairs are still ongoing?

Maybe it got dirty sitting on the ground so long at YYR and AF is still looking to find the expert technicians who can perform the 'washing' procedure?

any delays will probably be due the effort to professionally restore the Air France marquee dirt layer over any repair ( I'd expect ready made dirt decals for the engine cowlings all other areas will have to be done by hand :-)

TUGMASTER · Fri Feb 16, 2018 11:39 am

WIederling wrote:
Revelation wrote:
boeing767300 wrote:
I check R-24 daily and the aircraft has not yet returned to service. Presume final repairs are still ongoing?

Maybe it got dirty sitting on the ground so long at YYR and AF is still looking to find the expert technicians who can perform the 'washing' procedure?

any delays will probably be due the effort to professionally restore the Air France marquee dirt layer over any repair ( I'd expect ready made dirt decals for the engine cowlings all other areas will have to be done by hand

Brilliant...

Catfry · Sun Sep 16, 2018 9:37 am

In the news is a paywalled article saying BEA is evaluating initiating a new search for more engine parts using radar.
http://atwonline.com/safety/bea-conside ... gine-probe.
This uncontained engine failure is still unexplained a year later and seems to have been almost forgotten, but it remains a serious question mark on the A380 EA GP7200. By this point it seems unlikely that any new clues will turn up on the icecap, but the very fact that they consider searching suggests the BEA don't have any other leads as to the cause.

AirlineCritic · Sun Sep 16, 2018 10:09 am

Disappointing that they are in a situation where more information would be needed.

rlwynn · Sun Sep 16, 2018 11:04 am

Not really, it is hard to inspect pieces you do not have.

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