What happened
Approximately five minutes after departing Geraldton, the number 1 engine of an F100 experienced a flameout. The failure was caused by the seizure of the engine's fuel flow regulator (FFR), which led to a lack of fuel supply to the engine. During the event, the flight crew did not immediately identify the engine's deteriorating performance, partly because the autopilot and autothrottle masked the resulting thrust asymmetry. The crew eventually managed the single-engine operation to land safely in Perth, though they did not return to the nearest suitable airport, Geraldton.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical cause of the engine failure and the crew's subsequent management of the aircraft. Investigators found that the engine 1 FFR seized because of internal gearing wear. This wear was linked to the unit's high operational time, having reached 14,331.1 hours since its last overhaul. Although the component was being maintained within the service life limits prescribed by the Rolls-Royce engine management programme, the failure occurred nonetheless.
Regarding the crew's response, the investigation noted that the pilot flying was preoccupied with unusual thrust lever movements caused by a clutch-tie mechanism and did not associate this with the engine's loss of thrust. Meanwhile, the pilot monitoring was focused on cabin coordination, air traffic control communications, and transition procedures. The investigation also examined why the crew chose to continue to Perth rather than diverting to Geraldton, noting that the decision to maintain a higher speed and altitude degraded the aircraft's single-engine climb performance.
Findings
- The primary cause of the engine flameout was the seizure of the fuel flow regulator due to internal gear wear.
- The engine 1 FFR failed despite being maintained within the recommended service life limits for the Rolls-Royce Tay 650-15 engine.
- The crew's failure to adjust aircraft speed and thrust following the failure resulted in degraded single-engine climb performance.
- The decision to proceed to Perth instead of returning to Geraldton increased the duration of flight risks associated with single-engine operations.
- Automation and the absence of cockpit alerts prevented the crew from detecting the initial engine rollback.