Thread: Jetstar 788
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Old 31st May 2020, 03:39 PM
Greg Hyde Greg Hyde is online now
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Jetstar: Fuel additive led to near double engine malfunction on a Jetstar 787

A chemical added to fuel to kill microbiological growth is thought to have led to a near disastrous dual engine malfunction on a Jetstar 787, during a critical part of a flight from Cairns to Osaka last year.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has issued an airworthiness bulletin about Kathon biocide which Boeing had recommended be added to fuel in its aircraft.

The biocide has also been linked to other in-flight incidents involving dual engine surge, including one involving a UK-registered Airbus A321 in February this year.
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CASA’s notice “strongly recommended” all aircraft operators and maintainers suspend the use of the biocide and seek engine and aircraft manufacturer advice on an appropriate alternative.

In the Jetstar incident, which remains under investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board, the B787 was descending into Kansai International Airport, with up to 335 people on board.

At about 15,000 feet, the flight crew began to receive a number of engine warnings, including a thrust warning and engine fail indication.
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As the aircraft continued to descend, an engine fail warning was received for engine number two, which was automatically relit but continued to surge on landing.

Boeing has described aeroplane landings as the most dangerous phase of flights, with almost half of all fatal accidents occurring in the last fraction of a journey.

The Japan Transport Safety Board investigation, with assistance from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau was continuing, but a Jetstar spokeswoman said they had already acted to address the fuel issue.

“We were using Kathon biocide treatment on our B787 aircraft until May 2019, in accordance with Boeing’s recommendations,” said the spokeswoman.

“When we became aware of the potential impact it could have on engines, we immediately stopped using the product.”

She said Jetstar was continuing to work with the relevant investigators, regulators and manufacturers to determine the exact cause of the 787 event.

The CASA bulletin said the incident could have been the result of an “overdosing maintenance error during a fuel system biocide treatment procedure”.

The other possibility was the GE engine’s fuel system was sensitive to the biocide which may have significantly compromised normal operation of both engines.

In response GE recommended airlines stop using Kathon biocide for treatment of fuel tanks until further notice.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/bus...SE8G29JTBdmc4w
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