Cathay Pacific Flight 780
Encyclopedia
Cathay Pacific
Flight 780 was a flight from Surabaya
in Indonesia to Hong Kong
on 13 April 2010. There were 309 passengers and a crew of 13 on board. As Flight 780 neared Hong Kong the crew were unable to change the thrust output of the engines. The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300, landed at almost twice the speed of a normal landing, suffering minor damage. 57 passengers sustained injuries in the ensuing slide evacuation, one of them seriously. This was the first Cathay Pacific accident with no fatalities and also Cathay Pacific's first accident in 37 years.
engines. It was manufactured in 1998.
at 8:24am local time (0124 UTC). During the climb, both engines had small engine pressure ratio (EPR, a measure of the amount of thrust output) fluctuations, with No. 2 engine fluctuating over a greater range than No. 1 engine. Just over half-an-hour after takeoff, when the aircraft was at its cruising altitude of Flight level
(FL) 390, the Electronic Centralised Aircraft monitoring
(ECAM) displayed an "ENG 2 CTL SYS FAULT" message. The crew contacted the airline engineering department's Maintenance Control (MC) and discussed the fluctuations. As other engine operating parameters on both engines were normal the flight crew and MC decided it was safe for the flight to continue.
Almost two hours after departure, at 0316 UTC, the "ENG 2 CTL SYS FAULT" ECAM message reappeared. The flight contacted MC to review the issue again. As all other engine parameters remained normal, both the flight crew and the MC were again satisfied that it was safe to continue flying to Hong Kong.
After another two hours elapsed the aircraft was on descent to Hong Kong when, at 0519 UTC, at a position about 110 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport, the aircraft's ECAM displayed "ENG 1 CTL SYS FAULT" and "ENG 2 STALL" within a short period of time. The second message signified an engine compressor stall
, a potentially-serious engine problem. The flight crew accordingly carried out the necessary ECAM actions with No. 2 engine's thrust lever moved to the idle (or minimum-thrust) position. The crew increased No. 1 engine's thrust to Maximum Continuous Thrust (MCT) to compensate for the low thrust of No. 2 engine. Following these actions the crew declared a "Pan-pan
" with Hong Kong Air Traffic Control
(ATC), requesting the shortest possible route to the airport and priority landing.
A few minutes later the aircraft was approximately 45 nautical miles (83.3 km) southeast of Chek Lap Kok approaching an altitude of 8000 ft (2,438 m) when an "ENG 1 STALL" ECAM message was annunciated. The flight crew carried out the actions for a No. 1 engine compressor stall and declared a "Mayday
" with ATC. The captain then moved the thrust levers to test the engines’ response. During these movements, No. 1 engine's rotational speed increased to about 74% N1 while No. 2 engine remained at about 17% N1. Following the increase of No. 1 engine to 74% N1, movement of the thrust levers had no effect on engine speed.
At 1343 hours local time (0543 UTC) and 11 minutes after declaring the “Mayday”, the crew landed the aircraft on Chek Lap Kok’s Runway 07L at a groundspeed of 230 knots. This speed was 95 knots (186.2 km/h) more than an A330’s normal speed at touch-down, was above the maximum allowable flap-extension speed of the A330-300 and was also higher than the speed rating of the tyres. After touch-down only No. 1 engine’s thrust reverser deployed and the crew brought the aircraft to a stop using maximum braking. No. 1 engine remained at between 70% and 80% N1 throughout until the crew shut down both engines after stopping the aircraft. Five of the aircraft’s eight main wheel tyres deflated and airport fire fighters reported that smoke and flames were coming from the landing gear. Because of this the captain ordered an emergency evacuation, during which 57 passengers were injured; of these ten were taken to hospital.
, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile
(BEA) of France
and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch
(AAIB) of the United Kingdom
have formed a team to investigate the accident. The National Transportation Safety Committee
(NTSC) of Indonesia
and the National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) of the United States of America are also involved in the investigation, as are representatives of Airbus
, Rolls-Royce
and Cathay Pacific.
Data from the Digital Flight Data Recorder
(DFDR), Cockpit Voice Recorder
(CVR) and Quick Access Recorder
(QAR) have been downloaded for analysis. The investigation is concentrating on the engines, the engine control systems and the fuel system.
Analysis of the engines found that their fuel systems were contaminated with spherical particles. The particles had caused the Fuel Metering Unit
s' Main Metering Valves (MMVs) to seize; the MMVs were found to be stuck in positions corresponding to the recorded thrust output of each engine as it approached Hong Kong. Other engine components were found to be contaminated with the particles as well, and No. 2 engine's Variable Stator Vane Controller was also found to be seized; the entire fuel system including the aircraft's fuel tanks was found to be contaminated with the spherical particles. As part of the investigation fuel samples had been collected at Juanda International Airport, investigators found that the contaminant particles were present in the fuel samples. The fuel supply pipeline system used to refuel aircraft at Juanda International Airport had been extended prior to B-HLL being refuelled there, as part of the construction of new aircraft parking bays. The investigation has discovered that not all procedures were followed when the fuel pipeline system was brought back into service.
The investigation is continuing.
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
Flight 780 was a flight from Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
in Indonesia to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on 13 April 2010. There were 309 passengers and a crew of 13 on board. As Flight 780 neared Hong Kong the crew were unable to change the thrust output of the engines. The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300, landed at almost twice the speed of a normal landing, suffering minor damage. 57 passengers sustained injuries in the ensuing slide evacuation, one of them seriously. This was the first Cathay Pacific accident with no fatalities and also Cathay Pacific's first accident in 37 years.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A330-300, registration B-HLL, fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 700Rolls-Royce Trent 700
|-See also:-External links:*...
engines. It was manufactured in 1998.
Accident
Cathay Pacific Flight 780 took off from runway 28 at Surabaya's Juanda International AirportJuanda International Airport
Juanda International Airport , is an airport located in Sidoarjo, a small town near Surabaya, East Java. This airport serves Surabaya and surrounding areas. Juanda International Airport is operated by PT Angkasa Pura I. The airport takes its name after Djuanda Kartawidjaja, the last Prime Minister...
at 8:24am local time (0124 UTC). During the climb, both engines had small engine pressure ratio (EPR, a measure of the amount of thrust output) fluctuations, with No. 2 engine fluctuating over a greater range than No. 1 engine. Just over half-an-hour after takeoff, when the aircraft was at its cruising altitude of Flight level
Flight level
A Flight Level is a standard nominal altitude of an aircraft, in hundreds of feet. This altitude is calculated from the International standard pressure datum of 1013.25 hPa , the average sea-level pressure, and therefore is not necessarily the same as the aircraft's true altitude either...
(FL) 390, the Electronic Centralised Aircraft monitoring
Electronic Flight Instrument System
An electronic flight instrument system is a flight deck instrument display system in which the display technology used is electronic rather than electromechanical. EFIS normally consists of a primary flight display , multi-function display and engine indicating and crew alerting system display...
(ECAM) displayed an "ENG 2 CTL SYS FAULT" message. The crew contacted the airline engineering department's Maintenance Control (MC) and discussed the fluctuations. As other engine operating parameters on both engines were normal the flight crew and MC decided it was safe for the flight to continue.
Almost two hours after departure, at 0316 UTC, the "ENG 2 CTL SYS FAULT" ECAM message reappeared. The flight contacted MC to review the issue again. As all other engine parameters remained normal, both the flight crew and the MC were again satisfied that it was safe to continue flying to Hong Kong.
After another two hours elapsed the aircraft was on descent to Hong Kong when, at 0519 UTC, at a position about 110 nautical miles southeast of Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport, the aircraft's ECAM displayed "ENG 1 CTL SYS FAULT" and "ENG 2 STALL" within a short period of time. The second message signified an engine compressor stall
Compressor stall
A compressor stall is a situation of abnormal airflow resulting from a stall of the aerofoils within the compressor of a jet engine. Stall is found in dynamic compressors, particularly axial compressors, as used in jet engines and turbochargers for reciprocating engines.Compressor stalls result in...
, a potentially-serious engine problem. The flight crew accordingly carried out the necessary ECAM actions with No. 2 engine's thrust lever moved to the idle (or minimum-thrust) position. The crew increased No. 1 engine's thrust to Maximum Continuous Thrust (MCT) to compensate for the low thrust of No. 2 engine. Following these actions the crew declared a "Pan-pan
Pan-pan
In radiotelephone communications, a call of three repetitions of pan-pan is used to signify that there is an urgency on board a boat, ship, aircraft or other vehicle but that, for the time being at least, there is no immediate danger to anyone's life or to the vessel itself. This is referred to as...
" with Hong Kong Air Traffic Control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
(ATC), requesting the shortest possible route to the airport and priority landing.
A few minutes later the aircraft was approximately 45 nautical miles (83.3 km) southeast of Chek Lap Kok approaching an altitude of 8000 ft (2,438 m) when an "ENG 1 STALL" ECAM message was annunciated. The flight crew carried out the actions for a No. 1 engine compressor stall and declared a "Mayday
Mayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
" with ATC. The captain then moved the thrust levers to test the engines’ response. During these movements, No. 1 engine's rotational speed increased to about 74% N1 while No. 2 engine remained at about 17% N1. Following the increase of No. 1 engine to 74% N1, movement of the thrust levers had no effect on engine speed.
At 1343 hours local time (0543 UTC) and 11 minutes after declaring the “Mayday”, the crew landed the aircraft on Chek Lap Kok’s Runway 07L at a groundspeed of 230 knots. This speed was 95 knots (186.2 km/h) more than an A330’s normal speed at touch-down, was above the maximum allowable flap-extension speed of the A330-300 and was also higher than the speed rating of the tyres. After touch-down only No. 1 engine’s thrust reverser deployed and the crew brought the aircraft to a stop using maximum braking. No. 1 engine remained at between 70% and 80% N1 throughout until the crew shut down both engines after stopping the aircraft. Five of the aircraft’s eight main wheel tyres deflated and airport fire fighters reported that smoke and flames were coming from the landing gear. Because of this the captain ordered an emergency evacuation, during which 57 passengers were injured; of these ten were taken to hospital.
Investigations
Investigators from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation DepartmentCivil Aviation Department (Hong Kong)
The Civil Aviation Department is the Civil aviation authority of Hong Kong, headquartered in the Queensway Government Offices . The department is responsible for providing air traffic control services to all aircraft operating within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. It reports to the...
, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile
Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'Aviation Civile
The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile is an agency of the French government, responsible for investigating aviation accidents and making safety recommendations based on what is learned from those investigations. It is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds...
(BEA) of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch
Air Accidents Investigation Branch
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigates air accidents in the United Kingdom. It is a branch of the Department for Transport and is based on the grounds of Farnborough Airport near Aldershot, Rushmoor, Hampshire.-History:...
(AAIB) of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
have formed a team to investigate the accident. The National Transportation Safety Committee
National Transportation Safety Committee
The National Transportation Safety Committee is an Indonesian government agency charged with the investigation of air, land, rail, and marine transportation safety deficiencies. It has its headquarters in Jakarta....
(NTSC) of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
(NTSB) of the United States of America are also involved in the investigation, as are representatives of Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
, Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
and Cathay Pacific.
Data from the Digital Flight Data Recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
(DFDR), Cockpit Voice Recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
(CVR) and Quick Access Recorder
Quick access recorder
A quick access recorder is an airborne flight data recorder designed to provide quick and easy access to raw flight data, through means such as USB or cellular network connections and/or the use of standard flash memory cards...
(QAR) have been downloaded for analysis. The investigation is concentrating on the engines, the engine control systems and the fuel system.
Analysis of the engines found that their fuel systems were contaminated with spherical particles. The particles had caused the Fuel Metering Unit
Fuel control unit
Fuel control unit is the generic term given to any of several types of control systems for gas turbine engines.-Fundamentals of turbine engine control:...
s' Main Metering Valves (MMVs) to seize; the MMVs were found to be stuck in positions corresponding to the recorded thrust output of each engine as it approached Hong Kong. Other engine components were found to be contaminated with the particles as well, and No. 2 engine's Variable Stator Vane Controller was also found to be seized; the entire fuel system including the aircraft's fuel tanks was found to be contaminated with the spherical particles. As part of the investigation fuel samples had been collected at Juanda International Airport, investigators found that the contaminant particles were present in the fuel samples. The fuel supply pipeline system used to refuel aircraft at Juanda International Airport had been extended prior to B-HLL being refuelled there, as part of the construction of new aircraft parking bays. The investigation has discovered that not all procedures were followed when the fuel pipeline system was brought back into service.
The investigation is continuing.