A “SERIOUS incident” involving a US cargo jet, which was forced to shut down two of its four engines soon after taking off from Shannon airport, has been blamed on rapid icing in the engines after the crew failed to use engine anti- ice procedures during take-off.
The incident, which occurred at 10.40pm on March 28th, 2008, resulted in residents in the Limerick town of Askeaton reporting loud bangs and seeing flames coming from the aircraft’s engines.
The incident received widespread media coverage after anti-war campaigners claimed the plane was carrying hazardous materials for the US military.
Just over a year after the event, the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport has published its final report into the incident which involved a 39-year-old DC-8 jet operated by Murray Air. The jet was carrying a crew of four.
The aircraft took-off from Shannon for Qatar and, with a cargo of almost 35,000lb climbed through a thin cloud layer to 1,200ft. Once clear of the cloud, a series of “compressor stalls” occurred on the number 1 engine, the report stated. The crew shut the engine down but moments later, a compressor stall occurred on the number 2 engine, leaving it with just two operating engines.
The crew declared an emergency and were directed back to Shannon. A “four engine flame out” checklist was completed by the flight crew after which the engines immediately stabilised and normal operation was recovered.
The flight returned to Shannon with all four engines operating and landed on runway 24 just 14 minutes after taking off.
Investigator-in-charge Paddy Judge concluded that the probable cause was the “rapid icing of the engine nacelles, resulting in compressor stalls” while the “delayed recognition of engine icing by the flight crew” has been cited as contributing factor.
“Engine anti-ice was not used during initial climb,” the report states. “The aircraft passed through a thin cloud layer at about 900ft where meteorological conditions were probably conducive to the formation of engine ice. The pilot correctly descended the aircraft in order to gain speed and maintain control of the aircraft. The minimum altitude reached in this descent was 1,100 feet.”
The report also notes: “At the time of the occurrence, the aircraft was passing over the village of Askeaton in Co Limerick. Residents in the locality reported loud bangs and seeing flames coming from the aircraft and informed gardaí of an aircraft in trouble.”
No damage was found to the engines during the post-landing inspection while the investigation unit has not made any safety recommendations.