B747 flight crew describes the difficulties encountered after an unplanned diversion with an inoperative APU.
Synopsis
B747 flight crew describes the difficulties encountered after an unplanned diversion with an inoperative APU.
Narrative
1. Aircraft dispatched from maintenance base with inoperative APU on an international trip. Broken aircraft left for us by inbound crew. 2. Thunderstorm bearing down on our destination- requested quick 14R approach; denied by ATC.3. On ILS 14R- told by ATC to slow below minimum safe final approach speed to stay behind commuter jet- told ATC unable- poor ATC traffic management at our destination again mixing commuter planes with larger aircraft.4. Instructed to go-around; conducted go-around.5. Asked for quick return to 14L or 28; denied by ATC.6. Given option to land on 22R; runway wet and thunderstorm now at end of the runway- refused; unsafe; commuter planes landing 22R for some number of minutes with thunderstorm now on the field and no missed approach path available; refused 22R again; airport now non-usable.7. Thunderstorm now on field- asked ATC to remain over lake near shore for quick return to landing after storm passes- denied by ATC.8. Given 090 heading- Transferred to the next Approach- no ATC plan- ask the other Approach to go back toward our destination - denied by our destination ATC.9. Call Dispatch explained situation of our destination ATC refusal to cooperate as usual-- now we are in another state- tell Dispatch we need to go to alternate for gas-agree to divert airport as we are only 110 miles away- ATC will not allow us to proceed back northwest to our destination airspace- Dispatch advised of no APU and he said that our divert airport will have proper services but he does not know where we should park or who we talk to---will send data ACARS.10. Arrive at divert airport-Dispatch does not know where we park but provided Unicom VHF frequency-call Unicom; park at old terminal area- they have no 747 capable electrical power unit; no start cart; no ground air conditioner for 747; stairs available-they transfer us to terminal gate where all services are to be available.11. Taxi to gate after about 1 hour 10 minutes post landing -ground power unable to be hooked up; mechanics go on top of jetway to get power cord winches released; eventually they release with pounding hammers but one cord has no power; mechanics open electrical service entrance control boxes and attempt repairs unsuccessfully; mechanics arrive and get one power cord to eventually to work; a couple of electrical carts arrive; the second one works and supplies electrical power to the other side of the bus for higher loads.12. Ground staff of whoever the vendor is says jetway ground air will be plugged in upon engine shutdown; shut down engines at gate with jetway and ground air conditioning unit mounted to jetway just like our destination.13. Gate ground air now declared inoperative; no start cart available to start engines for air conditioning; ask multiple times for ground air or air start cart due to APU inoperative.14. Gate next door ground air is said to be hooked up to the plane and running ; receive reports from downstairs that air is flowing.15. Attempt to get fuel; no fuel sheet for fueler; delay in refueling.16. Customs arrives; permit to transit issued; [but] disallow anyone from leaving the plane; Purser controlling the customs paperwork and doing a great job as always.17. Finally get fuel; many attempts on SATCOM to Dispatch and calls to ground staff to hook up proper air; repeated assurances that this has been done. Further ask about start cart that will be needed.18. Maintenance staff does a good job of addressing several write-ups and eventually we get a Maintenance Release.19. Purser advises of time onboard; tell him to hand out all available supplies; message from Dispatch on ground delay; all supplied ordered to be handed out. 20. Advise Dispatch of many problems multiple times; advise that we need to get off the aircraft very soon; more ground staff assurances that things will be fixed quickly and we can start engines; cabin reported hot; ECS 81-86.21. Flight attendants again advises of hot cabin; people feeling faint; try to get customs to allow people off plane; request denied; advise Dispatch of plane getting hot and need to get off plane very soon.22. Try to start engine for air conditioning; air start cart incapable of providing enough air; abort start of #4 engine below minimum motoring speed.23. Ask ground staff to get equipment from anyone; cargo; etc; more assurances of quick response coming.24. Advise Dispatch again of issues; he is making many phone calls and we are getting no help; ground staff again confirms that gate next door ground air is hooked up. 25. Eventually another air start cart arrives to start engines; wrongly located in front of engine #1; we barely get #4 engine started for AC air; wait a long time to get cart moved and faulty gate next door ground air removed; we will get rid of these people and cross bleed other engines.26. Push tug incapable- has to be replaced with one capable of moving a large plane- further delay.27. Eventually push back and cross bleed start engines 1; 2; 3.28. Packs 1; 2; 3 all pack fault---eventually they reset ECS dropping 81-85. Yet another maintenance release with a broken aircraft from the overhaul facility caused the majority of all problems. APU repair at the Center of Maintenance for the airline should not be a problem for international flights. This again demonstrates why pilots want an operating APU in diversions because nothing can be trusted at airports; dispatchers do not make immediate calls to confirm airport status before releasing the flight and junk equipment unable to handle a B747 is the norm. We accepted the plane in order not to be labeled obstructionist; names used by flight managers who try to intimidate pilots that refuse planes with no APU. Arrogant destination ATC is still in serious need of remedy; they performed exactly as expected. Divert airport is an incapable airport to handle a B747 diversion; even new jetway equipment does not work. Divert airport should not be Ops Specs listed as a B747 alternate. From this point forward I will add another airport as an alternate and see if they can perform. Unacceptable services in divert airport match past problems with another airport who could not even locate a towbar; could not get Maintenance to clear a logbook write up and ran out of fuel in truck; poor vendors and services at both locations. The flight crew still fails to know who the divert airport provider actually is as the first responder disappeared and the second one showed up unable to handle the situation and needing to borrow various pieces of equipment. The divert airport authority obviously fails to maintain jetways. US Customs fails to allow controlled and safe passenger exit to a conditioned air building and instead did the typical government employee duty of standing on the ramp and watching. The whole operation was a complete mess of which 90% could have been avoided if Maintenance had fixed the APU at the Maintenance Center where it was deferred before international flight across hostile northern Canada and the Atlantic Ocean at least twice.
Second reporter narrative
Spaced too tight with preceding traffic for XXR by Approach and asked to slow below approach speed by Tower. [We were] unable; so instructed to go around; given easterly heading; over the lake. Requested return for another approach to XXR or L. Informed they were now closed; with YYR being the only runway available for landing. Could not get answer as to whether it was wet. [It was an] unacceptable runway due to weather. [We were] still heading south easterly over the lake. Approach [was] no longer responding to our requests for information. Eventually hands us off to neighboring Approach. [We] request information on the status of our destination from neighboring Approach; but the original Approach not answering their requests for info. The neighboring Approach reports; 'They just dumped you off on us and they won't talk to us now.' After numerous vectors and discussion with Dispatch we divert. Arrive at divert airport via vectors; as no arrival plates are available in flight kit. No 10-7 page either; so no information on airport services or support. Receive one frequency from Dispatch for service provider. - Upon landing; told we would be taxiing to the 'old terminal' ramp for fuel. Enroute; contact is made with servicing agent. All they have available is fuel. No information as to our maintenance status (open write ups and no APU) has been passed by Dispatch. We need air conditioning cart; electrical supply; and start air; none of which was pre-arranged. After over an hour coordinating; we taxi to a gate at the international terminal. Problems with both the electrical source and air conditioning unit lasted for some time. Eventually; air hose from a neighboring gate is extended to reach aircraft; however; duct pressure never reads more than 0 PSI; and no cold air is supplied to aircraft. At this point cabin is getting very hot. The need for cooling or deplaning is discussed with Dispatch and ground personnel; numerous times. Passengers [were] getting upset due to the delay and conditions. Attempt to explain via PA and face to face that customs will not allow us to deplane; air conditioning is trying to be coordinated; and the fastest way for both to be remedied is for the maintenance issues to be closed up and engines started. Customs official confirms that he is by himself; unable to allow us access into the terminal; and that it would be hours before more personnel could be brought in to process the passengers. We are cleared to continue to our destination and that is it. At this point both passengers and some flight attendants are getting irate; VERY difficult situation developing on board. Without remedy soon evacuation would have to be called for. That exact issue discussed with Dispatch. First start cart inadequate for B747. Provided 30 PSI but dropped to 15 when start valve opened. Could not achieve safe start parameters and aborted the start. [We] had to wait longer for a second cart to arrive. Aircraft still getting hotter; and [we got] more calls to the cockpit from flight attendants complaining; some less than civil. Second start cart arrives and number 4 engine started. One pack finally started. Cart placed behind number 1 engine; so yet another delay getting pushed or another engine started. Eventually get pushed back and start all engines. Upon turning all 3 AC packs on; all 3 fail with associated EICAS. Follow flight manual for each; and eventually get them all online. Not as easy as just resetting them; Controller A not working for any pack. Finally; taxi out for return to our destination.
More incidents for this aircraft family →
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.