NTSB INVESTIGATING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON DELTA AIR LINES
BOEING 777
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The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an
incident in which a Delta Air Lines Boeing 777 experienced
an uncommanded engine rollback in the cruise phase of an
intercontinental flight.
On November 26, 2008, at about 12:30 pm MST, in the vicinity
of Great Falls, Montana, a 777-200ER (N862DA), operated by
Delta Air Lines as Flight 18, en route from Shanghai to
Atlanta, experienced an uncommanded rollback of the right
(number 2) Rolls-Royce Trent 895 engine while at 39,000 feet
in the cruise phase of flight. The crew executed applicable
flight manual procedures and descended to 31,000 feet. The
engine recovered and responded normally thereafter. The
flight continued to Atlanta where it landed without further
incident. None of the crew of 15 or 232 passengers was
injured.
Flight data recorders and other applicable data and
components were retrieved from the airplane for testing and
evaluation. Both of the pilots have been interviewed.
This event is preceded by another airline's 777 equipped
with Rolls-Royce Trent 895 engines, which experienced an
uncommanded dual engine rollback while on final approach to
London's Heathrow International Airport on January 17, 2008,
crashing short of the runway on airport property. The
United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB)
is investigating that accident.
NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator Bill English, who is
serving as the U.S. Accredited Representative in the
Heathrow accident investigation, is the Investigator in
Charge of the Delta incident.
The AAIB, which has assigned an Accredited Representative to
the Delta incident, is working closely with the NTSB to
determine if there are issues common to both events.
Parties to the investigation are: the Federal Aviation
Administration, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Eaton-Argotech,
Delta Air Lines, and the Air Line Pilots Association.
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