Cargo 737 down in Hawaii

Sadly this adds to safety concerns for 737 compared to its Airbus competitor.

a reply to: joseluer24

Only among people that don't know crap about the 737.

www.khon2.com...

Investors plan on having a preliminary report out by Sat July 17th. This is just the radar data, pilot medical history, maintenance records, ATC communication and weather conditions.

We have no reports of any impact any wildlife, so that’s always a good sign. We never want to see any oil products on the water. But in this case, really, the conditions were also pushing it away from the shoreline. The wind was moving southwest, away from the shorelines and south shores of Oahu.

The NTSB said in a statement, “At this early stage of an investigation, NTSB does not state a cause but will only provide factual information when available.”

originally posted by: Zaphod58

Heavy weight landings require some setting up. I don't know what their weight was at takeoff, but a lot of times interisland flights would load up on fuel in Honolulu to make several flights before having to refuel again, so at least the first flight would be heavier.

The worst part is stopping, had to go back on a C-141 after losing an eng on T/O and we melted the break as we were gased up for Guam with cargo. Should have dumped more fuel...

The NTSB recovered some debris, and began using side scan sonar to determine the depth of the aircraft, and the best way to recover the recorders. They're also looking at if it will be possible to salvage most or all of the aircraft.

www.reuters.com...

Word is that both pilots have been released from the hospital. The NTSB is preparing to interview them.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Word is that both pilots have been released from the hospital. The NTSB is preparing to interview them.

Very good news!

Transair has grounded other aircraft, requiring some scrambling to get mail moved interisland. Transair has contracts to move mail to and from Kahalui and Hilo daily. They have a long history of fines and penalties with the FAA. There was no mail on the aircraft that crashed.

First images of the wreckage underwater released.

The FAA has effectively grounded the remaining 737 owned by TransAir's parent company. According to an FAA statement, they had been investigating Rhoads Aviation since last fall, and they removed their ability to complete their own maintenance inspections as of midnight last night. That's a requirement to operate flights, and the decision won't be reviewed until they are in compliance with FAA regulations.

simpleflying.com...

The NTSB has released the docket from the crash, with over 70 documents. The engine section found that the #2 engine T1 blades #1 and 6 failed, most likely from internal corrosion but they were unable to determine which blade failed first. The crew initially identified the #2 engine as the initial failure, then later correctly identified the #1 engine as having failed. Examination of engine health data showed the #2 engine consistently ran about 18 degrees hotter on the EGT. After the #1 engine failed the #2 engine began to overheat, pushing the EGT past maximum allowable temperatures, eventually leading to the ditching. Several structures from the #1 engine were either found separated from the engine, or weren't found during the recovery.

The #1 engine blades showed damage at several points in the engine. Eight blades in the C1 section showed light clashing damage. The C2 blades showed no obvious damage. The C3 and C4 blades showed no obvious distortion. The C4 and C5 blades showed 360 degree clashing damage. Both the C5 and C6 blades showed damage in the opposite direction of rotation. The high rotor was found to be seized. All C7 blades were in place, with several showing damage in the direction opposite of rotation. The high rotor front bearing was able to be turned by hand. The fuel system was disassembled and sent to Eaton in Ohio, and Collins Aerospace in Connecticut. Eaton examined the fuel pump, and Collins the fuel control. Both reported nothing that would have affected operation of the engine was found.

data.ntsb.gov...

The crew heard a thudding sound as they were taking off. The Captain told the First Officer to maintain 220 knots and 2000 feet, while he attempted to contact ATC and declare an emergency. It took three attempts, and he was concentrating on that, instead of assisting the First Officer with flying the aircraft. The First Officer moved each throttle back to flight idle, independently of each other, which was against training, which called for both throttles being moved together until the affected engine was identified.

When the Captain took control of the aircraft, he asked the First Officer if they had lost number one engine. The First Officer misidentified the engine that was affected. The Captain failed to notice that both throttles were at flight idle, and began increasing power to number two engine, which was the damaged engine. As the flight continued, the airspeed began to decay, and they couldn't hold altitude. The upper limit for EGT is 540 degrees, but cockpit instruments recovered from the wreckage showed an EGT of 700 degrees on number 2 engine. The First Officer started to read the engine out checklist several times, but stopped multiple times, including once when he told the Captain "We have to fly the airplane" and likely helped distract the Captain and drew attention away from determining which engine was actually out.

www.ntsb.gov...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Cripes! They fouled up by the numbers.

a reply to: JIMC5499

They did, but considering that the FAA later revoked Transair's operating certificate for the 737, I can't say I'm surprised. They found 33 flights non airworthy engines during the safety investigation that lead to them revoking their certificate.

originally posted by: joseluer24
Sadly this adds to safety concerns for 737 compared to its Airbus competitor.

Hey I'm a Brit and believe me even though I'm prejudiced by grandad being a WW2 GI from the USA based here when I get on a plane the only time I feel peace of mind is when I see the words........... Boeing made in USA

a reply to: ufoorbhunter

The aircraft in question was a 737-275C, meaning it was a 737-200, making it a very old aircraft. It was originally built in 1975, and the 737-200 still used the original JT8D engines that produced a combined total of 29,000 pounds of thrust. It had 27,788 hours at the time of the accident.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Blimey Zaph you know your stuff, thanks for the info