Latest news with #enginefailure
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
‘Pop, pop, pop': AA flight with smoking engine sparked concern at takeoff, says plane mechanic who was onboard
An American Airlines flight departing from Los Angeles encountered a frightening engine malfunction Wednesday morning, but two aircraft mechanics onboard say the emergency landing was unexpectedly calm and controlled. The plane, Flight AA 1665, from Las Vegas to Charlotte, North Carolina, experienced a sudden surge of sparks and smoke shortly after takeoff. 'We took off, and as soon as the pilots put the gear up, it was like pop, pop, pop over and over,' Paige Mitchell, an airplane mechanic in Las Vegas, told Fox 5. 'You could kind of see like orange and yellow, like glowing, like every time you hear the pop.' Michael Lockett, a fellow passenger and Air Force veteran with decades of experience working on military aircraft, said the sound was immediately recognizable and alarming. 'With my background, as soon as it happened, I knew kind of what it was because I've seen it on Air Force aircraft before,' Lockett told the outlet. Lockett remained outwardly calm but admitted to mentally bracing for the worst. 'I already knew it was an engine failure,' he said. 'I didn't say anything out loud because I didn't want to, you know, get people riled up, so the most I did was just pray until we got back on the ground.' Mitchell said her mechanical instincts also had her bracing for a rough landing, but she was impressed by how smoothly the pilots brought the plane down, with emergency crews meeting passengers the ground in Vegas. 'I was like 'oh, this is going to be rough', but no, they actually put us down really nicely, and as soon as we hit the ground, they stopped, and there was fire trucks and police waiting for us,' she said, adding that the landing was'one of the smoothest landings I've ever experienced.' Both AA and the FAA told The Independent that Wednesday's emergency return was due to a 'mechanical issue.' 'The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power, and customers deplaned normally. We appreciate the professionalism of our crew and thank our team who are working to get our customers to their destinations as quickly as possible,' an AA spokesman said.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Heart-stopping moment flames erupt from airborne 153-passenger American Airlines flight as pilot makes eerie disclosure
AN American Airlines flight had to return to the airport after smoke and sparks flew from the plane's engine, terrifying everyone on board. American Airlines Flight 1665 departed Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas at 8:11 am on Wednesday, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina. 2 However, shortly after takeoff, smoke was seen coming from the plane's left engine, according to an airport spokesperson. Harrowing video of the incident was shared on social media, showing puffs of smoke and orange sparks coming from the plane's engine. The plane returned to the airport around 8:20 am, said the Federal Aviation Administration in a statement. An inspection by the maintenance team found no evidence that the engine caught fire, according to American Airlines. "The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power and customers deplaned normally," the airline said. "We appreciate the professionalism of our crew and thank our team who are working to get our customers to their destinations as quickly as possible." Lane Hayes, one of the 153 passengers on the flight, told the New York Times that he heard a popping noise that "literally sounded like a gunshot," just seconds after takeoff. He told the outlet that when he leaned out the window, he could see "flashes of light coming from the engine where it was sparking." "It was extremely tense," said Hayes. "It felt like forever, and every time that the engine popped, it sounded like gunshots. We were all wondering if it was going to be bigger than the last one." Amidst the chaos, the pilot announced that they were "obviously not taking this plane to Charlotte," before returning to Las Vegas. At this time, American Airlines said it was too early to determine the cause of the engine issue. "We appreciate the professionalism of our crew and thank our team who are working to get our customers to their destinations as quickly as possible," the airline told The U.S. Sun. Along with 153 passengers, there were six crew members on board during the incident. No injuries were reported from this incident, said the airline. An investigation by the FAA is currently underway.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
NTSB issues urgent warning about engines on some Boeing and Airbus planes
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued an ' urgent safety recommendation ' regarding engines used in some Airbus and Boeing passenger jets. The recommendations concern the CFM International LEAP-1B engines used in Airbus A32neo and Boeing 737 Max narrow-body jets. In a statement on Wednesday, the transit regulator warned that the engine's load reduction device, a safety feature designed to reduce vibrations transmitted from a damaged engine to the main airframe, can impact the engine's oil system. 'Such a condition can allow smoke from hot oil to enter the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin,' the NTSB warned. 'We are aligned with the NTSB's recommendations and the work is already underway, in close partnership with our airframers, to enhance the capability of this important system,' a CFM spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent. The board's recommendation stemmed from a December 2023 incident, in which a Southwest flight on a Boeing 737-8 jet leaving New Orleans filled with smoke after its left engine ingested a bird. 'The flight deck filled with what the crew described as 'acrid white smoke' so thick that the captain had difficulty seeing the instrument panel,' the safety board wrote. 'The crew donned masks, were able to clear the smoke, and landed the airplane back in New Orleans. None of the crew or passengers were injured.' The Wednesday alert cited a similar incident featuring a Southwest flight departing Havana, Cuba, earlier that year. The safety board has requested that the Federal Aviation Administration ensure operators inform flight crews about jets equipped with the affected engines. Boeing has revised its flight manuals to prepare pilots to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin when the load reduction device is activated. The safety board has also asked flight regulators in Europe and China to determine if other variants of the CFM LEAP engine are susceptible to the same issues, and has asked the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency to incorporate software modifications developed by CFM and Boeing. One of the impacted jets is the Boeing 737 Max, the same plane that crashed twice between 2018 and 2019, killing 346 and causing a temporary grounding of the model until a flight sensor system could be redesigned. In May, the Justice Department reached a deal with the aerospace giant to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading regulators about the Max. The recommendations come at a time of heightened concern regarding the safety of the US air transit system, after a series of high-profile aviation disasters this year, including a mid-air collision above a Washington, D.C.-area airport, and a plane crash in Philadelphia, as well as air traffic control issues around major hubs like Newark.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Air India Dreamliner made emergency landing in 2023 after engine failure
An Air India Boeing 787 identical to the plane that crashed last week made an emergency landing in 2023 after engine failure caused by poor maintenance. The airliner was forced to turn back an hour into its 14-hour flight between Mumbai and London, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. The 2023 engine failure, together with news that India's aviation regulator has only half the number of staff it should be employing, will raise fresh questions about flight safety standards across the subcontinent. Pilots flying the Dreamliner during the August 2023 incident said they heard a 'loud thud' immediately before the left engine lost power, the DGCA's investigation report said. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of last Thursday's disaster, said he heard a 'loud noise' immediately before Air India flight AI171 crashed. His seat, 11A, was near the Boeing's left engine. Investigators looking into the 2023 engine failure discovered that the Boeing's left-hand engine, made by the US company General Electric, failed after a turbine blade was incorrectly bolted in during routine maintenance and then broke loose. General Electric, which inspected the failed engine on the DGCA's behalf, concluded that the 'release' of a high-pressure compressor blade 'had occurred due to improper installation of locking lugs of HPC Stage 10'. News of an engine failure with potential similarities to the events leading up to the deadly Ahmedabad crash came amid claims that the Indian air safety watchdog was suffering a manpower crisis. The DGCA had less than half the staff in place needed to ensure safety, and Indian parliamentarians said three months ago that they had 'fundamental concerns' about the shortages. The watchdog is responsible for aviation safety and regulatory oversight, and the enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards, including inspections. A report by the Indian parliament's transport committee found that of the 1,633 posts comprising the 'sanctioned strength' of the watchdog, only 754 were filled, leaving 879 vacancies. 'The committee notes with serious concern the high number of vacancies across key aviation regulatory and operational bodies, particularly in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and the Airports Authority of India,' the report said. 'The DGCA, responsible for aviation safety and regulatory oversight, has a vacancy rate exceeding 53 per cent, raising fundamental concerns about its capacity to enforce aviation safety standards effectively.' It said that at the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, tasked with maintaining aviation security, nearly 35 per cent of jobs were unfilled, 'posing risks to the robustness of security oversight at airports'. Similarly, at the Airports Authority of India, which manages critical airport infrastructure and air traffic services, unfilled job vacancies impacted operational efficiency and airport expansion. 'The committee is deeply concerned that chronic understaffing in these institutions could undermine safety, security, and service delivery standards, particularly as air traffic volumes continue to rise. 'The committee urges the Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite the recruitment process to fill vacancies across DGCA, BCAS, and AAI, ensuring that regulatory oversight, security enforcement, and airport operations are not compromised.' Last Friday, the DGCA issued a notice to Air India to conduct more inspections of all of its 787-8 and 787-9 fleet with GE engines. This includes an inspection of the fuel monitoring systems, a test of the electronic engine control, a check of the hydraulics and a review of take-off parameters. 'Power assurance checks' are also to be done on each airliner within two weeks. The DCGA and General Electric were contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Identical Air India Dreamliner to one in devastating crash had mid air engine failure and was forced to make emergency landing in 2023
An identical Air India plane to the one in last week's devastating crash was forced to make an emergency landing in 2023 after its engine gave way mid-air. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was forced to turn back an hour into its 14-hour flight two years ago between Mumbai and London, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. Pilots flying the plane in August 2023 reported hearing a 'loud thud' immediately before the left engine lost power due to poor maintenance. The revelation also comes amid findings India's aviation regulator has only half the number of staff it should be employing. In an eerily similar account given by Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of last Thursday's disaster recalled a 'loud noise' immediate before Air India flight AI171 crashed. His seat, 11A, was near the Boeing's left engine. Investigators looking into the 2023 engine failure have now determined the Boeing's left-hand engine, made by the US company General Electric, failed after a turbine blade was incorrectly bolted in during routine maintenance and then broke loose. It was concluded the 'release' of a high-pressure compressor blade 'had occurred due to improper installation of locking lugs of HPC Stage 10'. The DGCA was also found to have less than half the staff in place with Indian parliamentarians saying three months ago they had 'fundamental concerns'. A report by the Indian parliament's transport committee found of 1,633 available posts only 754 were filled – leaving 879 vacancies. It read: 'The committee notes with serious concern the high number of vacancies across key aviation regulatory and operational bodies, particularly in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and the Airports Authority of India. 'The DGCA, responsible for aviation safety and regulatory oversight, has a vacancy rate exceeding 53 per cent, raising fundamental concerns about its capacity to enforce aviation safety standards effectively.' It added nearly 35 per cent of jobs were unfilled at the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security - tasked with maintaining aviation security - and this was 'posing risks to the robustness of security oversight at airports'. Concerns were also voiced by the Airports Authority of India, which manages critical airport infrastructure and air traffic services, that unfilled job vacancies were impacting operational efficiency and airport expansion. A spokesman said: 'The committee is deeply concerned that chronic understaffing in these institutions could undermine safety, security, and service delivery standards, particularly as air traffic volumes continue to rise. 'The committee urges the Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite the recruitment process to fill vacancies across DGCA, BCAS, and AAI, ensuring that regulatory oversight, security enforcement, and airport operations are not compromised.' Last Friday, the DGCA issued a notice to Air India ordering more inspections of all of its 787‑8 and 787‑9 fleet with GE engines. This included an inspection of the fuel monitoring systems, a test of the electronic engine control, a check of the hydraulics and a review of take‑off parameters. There is also a requirement to carry out 'power assurance checks' on each airliner within two weeks.
