A SAAB 340A ON TKOF CLB AT 3000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO L ENG FAILURE.
Synopsis
A SAAB 340A ON TKOF CLB AT 3000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO L ENG FAILURE.
Narrative
FOR THE LAST 5 MONTHS I HAVE FLOWN ALMOST 100 HRS PER MONTH WITH NO MORE THAN 10 DAYS OFF PER MONTH. THE FO HAD SIMILAR SCHEDULES. WE WERE TIRED; HUNGRY; STRESSED AND UNDER PRESSURE TO BE ON TIME. START-UP AND TAXI WAS UNEVENTFUL. PRIOR TO TKOF WE NOTICED NP AND TQ INDICATORS HAD A BOUNCE; WE DISREGARDED THIS AS THIS ACFT HAD GIVEN US NON-REPEATABLE FAILURES ALL DAY. ON THE TKOF ROLL; WE WERE FOLLOWING AN A320. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIRBUS. THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER TRANSCRIPT SHOWS WE DID OUR CALL OUTS OUT OF SEQUENCE AND I CALLED 'AUTOCOURSE NOT ARMED' AN ABORT ITEM. NEITHER OF US REMEMBER ANYTHING TO CAUSE AN ABORT. THE FO NOTICED A BOUNCE IN TORQUE AND POINTED. I SAW NO BOUNCE AND TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE. ON TKOF WE EXPERIENCED AN ALTERNATOR SHAFT FAILURE CAUSING TQ; NP AND NG INDICATOR TO GO TO ZERO. WE ELECTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THIS AT A SAFE ALT. NO MENTION OF QRH WAS MADE. AT 2500 FT WE HAD A MASTER CAUTION AND A CHIP DETECT LIGHT; WE NOW DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WE LEVELED AT 3000 FT AND RECEIVED VECTORS FOR RWY 32. I TALKED TO THE FAA AND MADE A PA. TALKED TO DISPATCH AND OPS. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL; PERFORMED THE LNDG CHKLIST (WE PREVIOUSLY DID DSCNT AND APP). THE FA CALLED AND SAID HE HAD SMOKE IN THE CABIN. 3 CALLS WITH HER INDICATED IT WAS RUBBERY AND I FELT NOT EXCESSIVE. I ASKED IF SHE SAW FLAMES OR FIRE IN THE L ENG; SHE SAID NO. I CONTINUED TO LND. AT 250 FT WE HAD A MASTER WARNING 'CARGO SMOKE.' THE FO ASKED IF WE SHOULD FIRE THE BOTTLES; I SAID LAND THE AIRPLANE. AFTER THE FIRST CALL FROM THE FA ABOUT SMOKE; I ASKED TWR FOR THE EQUIPMENT TO MEET US ON THE GND. AT THIS POINT WE WERE #1 TO LAND. AFTER LNDG THE CARGO SMOKE LIGHT WENT OUT. WE EXITED AT TXWY E AND SHUT DOWN THE ENG. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED AND THE FIRE CHIEF ASKED US TO DEPLANE. I FELT I DID THE CORRECT ACTIONS TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND. THE L ENG WAS OPERATING AS SHOWN BY MATCHING IT'S INTER-STAGE TURBINE TEMP AND OIL TEMPS AND PRESSURES IN THE GREEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OCCURRED TO THE L ENG ON TKOF CLB JUST AFTER LIFTOFF THE L ENG ALTERNATOR FAILED. THE RPTR SAID WITH THE ALTERNATOR SHAFT AND BEARING FAILING IT CAUSED LOSS OF ENG INDICATIONS TQ; NP; BOTH DROPPING TO ZERO. THE RPTR STATED AT 2500 FT THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH THE CHIP DETECTOR WARNING LIGHT ON. THE RPTR SAID AT 3000 FT AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND DIVERSION STARTED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. THE RPTR STATED AT THIS POINT IN TIME THE CABIN ATTENDANT RPTED SMOKE; BUT NO FLAMES IN THE CABIN. THE RPTR SAID AT 750 FT THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT AGAIN CAME WITH 'CARGO SMOKE' WARNING. THE RPTR STATED WITH THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND AND THE L ENG SHUTDOWN THE SMOKE DISSIPATED AND THE 'CARGO SMOKE' LIGHT WENT OUT. THE RPTR SAID THE FIRE CHIEF WANTED THE PASSENGERS AND CREW EVACUATED OUT THE FORWARD ENTRANCE DOOR. THE RPTR STATED MAINT EXPLAINED THE CAUSE OF THESE MULTIPLE FAILURES; FIRST THE ALTERNATOR SHAFT SHEARED AND DESTROYED THE BEARING AND OIL SEAL WHICH CAUSED THE CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THE RPTR SAID THE GEARBOX STARTED TO LEAK OIL WITH THE SHAFT BEARING AND SEAL FAILURE AND THE PRESSURIZED OIL ENTERED THE PNEUMATIC BLEED SYS CAUSING THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN. THE RPTR STATED THE L ENG WAS LEFT RUNNING UNTIL ON THE GND. THE RPTR SAID THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS OR CREW MEMBERS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.