767 engine fire/damage at LAX

[PlayTheOdds]

As soon as the insurance company is done with the aircraft it will be stripped of all useable parts blocked up on timbers, possibly used as a training aid for the airport firefighters to use a few times as a training aid to cut holes in, then visited by a track-hoe equipped with hydraulic jaws that will rip the aircraft to shreds, dump the shredded pieces into 24-yard dump trucks and shipped off to the scrap yard for recycling.

Now does the salvaged parts belong to the insurance company or AA? Did AA own the engines or were they leased? Was the aircraft 100% or partially insured?

 

[local 12 proud]

F.M.

From looking at the blogspot photos, one pic shows a good view of the damage to the center bottom. That exploding turbine wheel from the left engine ripped all the way through the center body and almost through the right engine too. My guess it took the keel beam with it. Even with over ten years fly the 75/76's, it took me a few days to notice it.If this happened on takeoff, both engines would have been destroyed, along with the fuel tanks ruptured by red hot turbine parts, plus the possibility of all flight control, hydraulic and electrical lines severed in that center section. "Lawn Dart" would be a good description at that point.

I agree, it appears the turbine wheel cut thru the lower belly fairings like a circular saw and if the keel beam was seriously damaged it essentially broke her back...Not Good!

 

[Wretched Wrench]

I agree, it appears the turbine wheel cut thru the lower belly fairings like a circular saw and if the keel beam was seriously damaged it essentially broke her back...Not Good!

I'm not a structures guy, but does the keel beam extend that far down?

 

[local 12 proud]

I'm not a structures guy, but does the keel beam extend that far down?

The keel beam is on the lower part of the fuselage, the severity of damage depends on how intrusive that turbine wheel penetrated into those lower fairings.

 

[Bob Owens]

F.M.

From looking at the blogspot photos, one pic shows a good view of the damage to the center bottom. That exploding turbine wheel from the left engine ripped all the way through the center body and almost through the right engine too. My guess it took the keel beam with it. Even with over ten years fly the 75/76's, it took me a few days to notice it.If this happened on takeoff, both engines would have been destroyed, along with the fuel tanks ruptured by red hot turbine parts, plus the possibility of all flight control, hydraulic and electrical lines severed in that center section. "Lawn Dart" would be a good description at that point.

I looks to me like the turbine disc bounced off the ground into the belly, wing and then through the exhaust nozzle on the right engine. Most of the stuff it went through is pretty light, even the exhaust nozzle which can be lifted up by one mechanic(or three pilots-just kidding). If it happened in flight it may not have done any damage to the rest of the plane, but of course thats a big maybe. The force of any part of the disc, since its spinning, is directly away from the center of the disc, centrifugal, since the whole disc came out the force driving it to the right was probably due to the fact that it was rotating when it hit the ground. So if it happened in flight it probably would have went straight down and not sliced across the aircraft.

That part of the belly houses the packs with a fuel tank above it so there probably wasnt much damage to the electrical or hydraulic systems there that would affect flight controls. From the photos , other than the exhaust nozzle, the right engine looks ok. So they still would have had thrust and hydraulics.

The big if is the fire, what exactly started the fire and would it have lit off in flight like that? The left engine doesnt look burnt, blown apart yes, but not like it was on fire. Even if it was the initial source of the fire the extinguishing system would have been ineffective since there was no containment. The agent would have just blown out the gapping hole where the cowlings were.

While we all remember the Concorde disaster there have been cases of uncontained engine failures before. We had a 747 from India or Pakistan a few years back where the #2 engine blew apart, taking with it the #1eng and putting holes in the wing and fuselage. The engines were replaced, holes patched and away it went. I also seem to recall either a 727 or a DC-9 that had an uncontained failure where the shrapnel killed passengers in the cabin but the plane was able to land. All in all its still a pretty scary thing to see but better to see it on a runup pad than on a Runway.

 

[Mach85ER]

I looks to me like the turbine disc bounced off the ground into the belly, wing and then through the exhaust nozzle on the right engine. Most of the stuff it went through is pretty light, even the exhaust nozzle which can be lifted up by one mechanic(or three pilots-just kidding).

Saw another pic, looks like your right on the bounce theory since there wasn't any slicing on the left side of the belly.


You guys lift stuff like exhaust nozzles? I thought that stuff gets moved by voice activation, you know, when I key the mic, I say "computer, fix tray table at 23B", then it gets fixed. 😛

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Saw another pic, looks like your right on the bounce theory since there wasn't any slicing on the left side of the belly.

The concrete also confirms this.

 

[eolesen]

The force of any part of the disc, since its spinning, is directly away from the center of the disc, centrifugal, since the whole disc came out the force driving it to the right was probably due to the fact that it was rotating when it hit the ground. So if it happened in flight it probably would have went straight down and not sliced across the aircraft.

Agree it will be directed away from the center of rotation, however there are 360 degrees of rotation from which it could have headed in, and I don't know that gravity alone would have made a huge difference at that high of a rotation speed.

Is there enough structure within the CF6 that would have deflected the disk downward, as opposed to sideways into the fuselage or upward towards the pylon mount/wing?

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Is there enough structure within the CF6 that would have deflected the disk downward, as opposed to sideways into the fuselage or upward towards the pylon mount/wing?

Not within. But outside, up top, there is the mounting hardware. I agree that gravity is not a biggie. What it hits and how it grabs would have more effect than gravity.

 

[nbmcg01]

Not within. But outside, up top, there is the mounting hardware. I agree that gravity is not a biggie. What it hits and how it grabs would have more effect than gravity.

Now you all know they will figure out some way to blame this on TwA...lol

How lucky no one was injured!

 

[alfista]

Former ModerAAtor said -

This is one of the 16 -200ERs that are only used for transcons. If it's truly needed for schedule, as noted there are plenty of -200's available on the used market with CF6's.

Now, if it were a -300ER or a 777, perhaps there'd be some justification to fix it up, but the damage appears to exceed the book value of the hull by a wide margin.

Nope, look at the registration number - N380AA. This is a 300ER. In fact, this is the airplane that AA used for an advanced (for its time) IFE system back in the late '90s.

Whoops, my bad... I just saw a better picture, and I see that it's N330A... which, of course (asyou said), is a 200ER.

Sorry for the confusion!

 

[PlayTheOdds]

Is the aircraft still sitting outside or has it been moved to a hangar?

 

[QA4Jet-A]

Is the aircraft still sitting outside or has it been moved to a hangar?

and why do you give a Rats Rear end? Think you can fix it? You work for Scab Air, remember? Or were you let go and are now seeking employ so Local 12 can tape your Licked Boots to your Ears?

 

[lpbrian]

Is the aircraft still sitting outside or has it been moved to a hangar?

Well, its pictured on the blast fence outside the superbay hangar. It will probably be brought inside for evaluation and any repair. Given the southern Ca weather, this could also be performed outdoors.

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Well, its pictured on the blast fence outside the superbay hangar. It will probably be brought inside for evaluation and any repair. Given the southern Ca weather, this could also be performed outdoors.

The trim rack is at the end of the low bay hangar. Not too near the SuperBay.