20011031030429I

Incident

FAA incident report · Boeing 7372X6C · Nome, AK · October 31, 2001

Date
October 31, 2001 · 20:40 local
Place
Nome, AK
Airport
Nome
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
ASAA
Aircraft
N747AS
Reported as
Boeing 7372X6C

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) After departing the Nome Airport, the PIC retracted the landing gear and heard a loud bang. Twenty seconds later he heard another. The right engine ingested a nylon cargo strap which was wrapped around the fixed intake vanes. This produced a disruption in the airflow enough to cause a compression stall. These types of nylon straps usually have a metal piece that holds them together. It is probable this piece of metal went through the engine due to small nicks that were on the forward compressor blades. A mechanic with Alaska airlines "blended the blades" on the C-1 (first set of compressor blades) then borescoped the rest of the engine. The aircraft was flown back to anchorage the next morning. The engine was removed three days after the incident due to an unfavorable "a" check pertaining to the damage from this incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER DEPARTING THE NOME AIRPORT, THE PIC RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. TWENTY SECONDS LATER HE HEARD ANOTHER. THE RIGHT ENGINE INGESTED A NYLON CARGO STRAP WHICH WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE FIXED INTAKE VANES. THIS PRODUCED A DISRUPTION IN THE AIRFLOW ENOUGH TO CAUSE A COMPRESSION STALL. THESE TYPES OF NYLON STRAPS USUALLY HAVE A METAL PIECE THAT HOLDS THEM TOGETHER. IT IS PROBABLE THIS PIECE OF METAL WENT THROUGH THE ENGINE DUE TO SMALL NICKS THAT WERE ON THE FORWARD COMPRESSOR BLADES. A MECHANIC WITH ALASKA AIRLINES "BLENDED THE BLADES" ON THE C-1 (FIRST SET OF COMPRESSOR BLADES) THEN BORESCOPED THE REST OF THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO ANCHORAGE THE NEXT MORNING. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED THREE DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT DUE TO AN UNFAVORABLE "A" CHECK PERTAINING TO THE DAMAGE FROM THIS INCIDENT.