Iceberg tip @ 10,000 hrs.
CC - “The Chinese built Gen II Emerald “Clontarf” returned to service a little over 2 weeks after her catastrophic Port Engine failure on 6th February”.
'CC' - “Her Port Engine had only been operating for 5,600 hours when she blew up”.
As this was 'potentially' an event which could have, considering the actual details of the failure, been life threatening (in reality). The engine failed. The 'safety system' which should have starved the engine room fire – failed. The fire suppression system was rendered 'ineffective'. Inquiry time – before it's too late? Please.......
Put the rest aside for a moment – consider; a large, powerful engine began to disintegrate. Is there an 'automatic stop' facility – a 'fail safe' or does someone have to manually hit a big red button? Hot metal, fuel under pressure, oil and engine parts being sprayed around a fire and smoke filled engine room. You don't get many warnings as clear as this one that 'something' is very, very wrong.
I notice there's mention of a 10, 000 hr engine replacing the 'broken' one. In principal there's nothing wrong with this – the 'spare' providing it has been overhauled and tested is a good stop gap. Commercial aircraft use this system and the 'spare' is always ready to go – the engine which comes off the wing is thoroughly inspected, rectified and certified as a 'good to go' spare and ready. This saves an airframe being out of service for 'days' – the quick change artists on the hanger floor take pride in the time taken to return an aircraft to revenue service.
So, an engine failure – serious enough; it happens, even to scrupulously maintained, certified engines. But here's the thing – if the maintenance, scheduled and routine, is not completed and the systems which are designed to prevent the 'one in a million' chance of catastrophic failure are not up to task and serviceable – Murphy's Law clicks in. Which is bad enough but lets consider the really scary stuff.
The Clontarf engines (x2) have, in order to meet schedule times, been operated at maximum rpm throughout their service life. Now, you can do this provided that the maintenance of ALL systems is commensurate with that hard usage. The OIL in the engine is not only the life blood of the engine but a great story teller. It picks up carbon as it thins and importantly 'metal' which it leaves in the filters – until they can longer hold the metal shaving off the moving parts. So; oil breaking down in ability to lubricate 'correctly'- increased friction – increased 'metal' – full filter – maximum RPM - an equation for the perfect catastrophic engine failure/fire. Fire suppression system failure – with an unconstrained fuel fire – harbour side BBQ - anyone?
The wet lettuce leaf of an OTSI grumble and even the mild inquisitiveness of AMSA is clearly not having the desired, publicly paid for effect. They should be like a terrier on a rat – all the holes in that famous Swiss cheese are lining up; and, luck will only get you so far. Time ladies and Gentlemen; time to get serious; time to send in the wolf pack and sort this fiasco to lip service safety out.
Tick tock says the the ferry boat luck clock.
Toot – toot..
CC - “The Chinese built Gen II Emerald “Clontarf” returned to service a little over 2 weeks after her catastrophic Port Engine failure on 6th February”.
'CC' - “Her Port Engine had only been operating for 5,600 hours when she blew up”.
As this was 'potentially' an event which could have, considering the actual details of the failure, been life threatening (in reality). The engine failed. The 'safety system' which should have starved the engine room fire – failed. The fire suppression system was rendered 'ineffective'. Inquiry time – before it's too late? Please.......
Put the rest aside for a moment – consider; a large, powerful engine began to disintegrate. Is there an 'automatic stop' facility – a 'fail safe' or does someone have to manually hit a big red button? Hot metal, fuel under pressure, oil and engine parts being sprayed around a fire and smoke filled engine room. You don't get many warnings as clear as this one that 'something' is very, very wrong.
I notice there's mention of a 10, 000 hr engine replacing the 'broken' one. In principal there's nothing wrong with this – the 'spare' providing it has been overhauled and tested is a good stop gap. Commercial aircraft use this system and the 'spare' is always ready to go – the engine which comes off the wing is thoroughly inspected, rectified and certified as a 'good to go' spare and ready. This saves an airframe being out of service for 'days' – the quick change artists on the hanger floor take pride in the time taken to return an aircraft to revenue service.
So, an engine failure – serious enough; it happens, even to scrupulously maintained, certified engines. But here's the thing – if the maintenance, scheduled and routine, is not completed and the systems which are designed to prevent the 'one in a million' chance of catastrophic failure are not up to task and serviceable – Murphy's Law clicks in. Which is bad enough but lets consider the really scary stuff.
The Clontarf engines (x2) have, in order to meet schedule times, been operated at maximum rpm throughout their service life. Now, you can do this provided that the maintenance of ALL systems is commensurate with that hard usage. The OIL in the engine is not only the life blood of the engine but a great story teller. It picks up carbon as it thins and importantly 'metal' which it leaves in the filters – until they can longer hold the metal shaving off the moving parts. So; oil breaking down in ability to lubricate 'correctly'- increased friction – increased 'metal' – full filter – maximum RPM - an equation for the perfect catastrophic engine failure/fire. Fire suppression system failure – with an unconstrained fuel fire – harbour side BBQ - anyone?
The wet lettuce leaf of an OTSI grumble and even the mild inquisitiveness of AMSA is clearly not having the desired, publicly paid for effect. They should be like a terrier on a rat – all the holes in that famous Swiss cheese are lining up; and, luck will only get you so far. Time ladies and Gentlemen; time to get serious; time to send in the wolf pack and sort this fiasco to lip service safety out.
Tick tock says the the ferry boat luck clock.
Toot – toot..