RON1 engine issue

[Captain Halliday]

RON1 a B737 operating INU to BNE appears to have suffered an issue inflight approaching BNE.

There are many reports from people on the southside of Brisbane claiming to have seen "flames visible from the right engine" and other describing the sound like fireworks".*

This image was shared but I stress it has NOT been independently verified, and in any case doesn't show much.


Source: Moreton Alert Facebook page

There's nothing particularly unusual about the approach:


Source: Flightradar24

Whatever happened, if anything, wasn't severe enough for the crew to stop on the runway.

The aircraft taxied to the gate under escort.

*There were no references to terrifying plunge, mid-air emergency or horrified passengers. Witnesses just don't use adjectives like they used to.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Air Services Australia have confirmed the incident and that ARFF crews responded to an aircraft with flames coming from an engine.

The reports of fuel dumping over Moreton Bay are amusing. Would be an amazing achievement for a 737.

 

[jb747]

The 737 can dump. It just has the extra step of burning it in the engine on the way out.

 

[AviatorInsight]

It’s nothing too abnormal. Just a compressor stall. The disruption of the airflow inside the engine causes it to “misfire” and hence why we can see some flames coming out the back.

 

[jb747]

If it was video, and not a still, you'd probably see the flame pulsing every second or so. It would disappear entirely when the engine is shut down. Whilst healthy engines can compressor stall in some circumstances, in this case it would almost certainly have to be some level of blade damage.

Note that the engine is not on fire. Well, not much more than normal anyway. Jet engines are always on fire, it's just that you can't normally see any of the combustion. In this case, you can, with it occurring in the tailpipe, and even a bit aft of the engine.

 

[Mattg]

The Aviation Herald

Aviation Herald - News, Incidents and Accidents in Aviation

avherald.com

A Nauru Airlines Boeing 737-300, registration VH-PNI performing flight ON-1 from Nauru Island (Nauru) to Brisbane,QL (Australia) with 48 people, was on approach to Brisbane's runway 01R when the right hand engine (CFM56) emitted a series of bangs and streaks of flames. The crew maintained routine communication and continued the approach for a safe landing on runway 01R a few minutes later.

The airline reported the engine suffered compressor stalls.

The article also has a video taken by a passenger.

 

[albatross710]

If it was video, and not a still, you'd probably see the flame pulsing every second or so. It would disappear entirely when the engine is shut down. Whilst healthy engines can compressor stall in some circumstances, in this case it would almost certainly have to be some level of blade damage.

@jb747 I was going to ask what would be a typical checklist in this situation. Doesn't look like a re-start is an option if blade damage is more likely.

I found this page which explained it to ne : Boeing 737 Memory Items – Engine Limit or Surge or Stall

 

[jb747]

@jb747 I was going to ask what would be a typical checklist in this situation. Doesn't look like a re-start is an option if blade damage is more likely.

I found this page which explained it to ne : Boeing 737 Memory Items – Engine Limit or Surge or Stall

Pretty standard response across all types. Reduce the power, to idle if necessary. If that doesn’t clear the stall, then shut the engine down. Modern engines don’t stall in forward flight unless there is something wrong with them. Older engines were more prone to it, especially following aerodynamic disturbances.

 

[drron]

Well if you watched the TV news on the day after you would think the plane was seconds from disaster.

 

[jb747]

Well if you watched the TV news on the day after you would think the plane was seconds from disaster.

In the same way that I'm just a few numbers from winning lotto.

 

[drron]

In the same way that I'm just a few numbers from winning lotto.

That makes 2 of us.