[Peetwo]

Investigation number: AE-2019-016 (ATSB accredited representative) 

Via the ATCB website:

The ATSB has been nominated as an accredited representative to the Japan Transport Safety Board’s investigation of an abnormal engine behaviour occurrence involving Boeing 787-8 VH-VKJ on 29 March 2019.

At approximately 15,000 feet during descent into Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan, the flight crew received an engine thrust warning on the number 2 engine, which subsequently started to surge. The crew then received an engine fail indication on the number 1 engine, without any shift in parameters indicating any engine power loss.

That warning was followed by an engine fail warning on the number 2 engine. The number 2 engine auto relight activated and the engine continued to surge during the descent.

Via SMH:

Jetstar pilots faced 'engine fail' warnings minutes before landing

By Matt O'Sullivan
April 3, 2019 — 4.51pm

The pilots of a Jetstar 787 passenger jet received "engine fail" and "engine thrust" warnings during their approach to land at Osaka's main international airport on Friday.

The details about the problems faced by the pilots with both of the Boeing 787's engines in the crucial minutes before they landed the plane at Kansai International Airport come as Japan's air-safety officials rated the incident as "serious".

Japan's Transport Safety Board has taken the lead in the investigation into Jetstar Flight JQ15's "abnormal engine behaviour" and will be supported by Australian investigators.



A Jetstar 787, similar to the one pictured, suffered engine problems while on descent into Osaka on Friday.

The Jetstar 787-8 Dreamliner, which is powered by two General Electric GEnx engines, was flying from Cairns to Japan's third largest city.

When the plane reached about 15,000 feet on the approach to Kansai Airport, the pilots received an "engine-thrust warning" on the 787's number-two engine, which subsequently began to surge, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The pilots then received an "engine fail indication" on the number-one engine "without any shift in parameters indicating any engine power loss".



The Jetstar 787 remains grounded at Kansai International Airport.CREDIT:KANJI HIWATASHI

That warning was followed by an "engine fail warning" on the number-two engine, and its "engine auto re-light activated". The engine continued to surge during the descent into Kansai Airport, which is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay.

A spokeswoman for Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau confirmed on Wednesday that the mid-air incident had been classified as "serious".

"Japan Transport Safety Bureau ... is investigating the cause of the serious incident," she said.

The fact the engine problems occurred during the final approach to Kansai is a concern because the final minutes of any flight are the riskiest.

The Jetstar aircraft, which is registered VH-VKJ and can carry as many as 335 passengers in economy and business class, has been grounded at Kansai since Friday. Engineers from Jetstar, General Electric and Boeing have been inspecting the 787 to determine the cause.

A line of inquiry has been the possibility of a microbiological contaminant entering the plane's fuel, which could have become congealed in filters and disrupted the flow of fuel to the engines.

The aircraft was fuelled in New Zealand before it was flown to Cairns to pick up passengers for the onward journey to Osaka on Friday.

A fuel sample has been sent for testing at a laboratory in Japan to determine whether it was contaminated. It is likely to be the end of the week before the results are completed.

However, it has been suggested that inspectors are already starting to discount fuel contamination as a cause of the mid-air incident.

A report by investigators is not expected to be completed until about mid next year.

MTF...P2