What happened
During the takeoff roll of a McDonnell Douglas MD-8D, the flight crew reported a partial loss of engine power. In response to the power loss, the crew aborted the takeoff. Upon subsequent inspection, it was discovered that the left engine had sustained damage from a foreign object impact.
The aircraft had been parked outside overnight prior to the flight. At the time of departure, the parking area and taxiway were covered in heavy wet snow and slush. The captain reported that no chemical de-icing had been requested during preflight because the outside air temperature was above freezing, and no ice was visible on the wings during the early morning inspection.
The investigation
A maintenance technician had visually inspected both engine inlets for debris accumulation before departure. While the aircraft was not equipped with an inboard over-wing heater blanket system, it did feature non-skid strips and tuft triangular decals to assist crews in performing tactile inspections of the upper inboard wing surfaces. However, the operator's safety officer noted that the crew did not perform a tactile inspection of the upper wing surfaces prior to this departure.
Weather observations at the time of the incident indicated an overcast sky with a ceiling between 200 and 600 feet, visibility of 10 statute miles, and winds from 290 degrees at 8 knots. The temperature and dew point were both 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
Findings
- The aircraft was subject to conditions where clear ice could form on the upper wing surface due to cold-soaked fuel in the main tanks combined with high humidity or moisture, even at temperatures above freezing.
- The crew did not conduct a tactile inspection of the upper wing surfaces before takeoff.