What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
United flight 1296, a Boeing 752, lax-kona, HI, returned and landed lax runway 7L without further incident after pilot reporting right engine issues with smoke in cabin and cockpit.
Upon arrival all passengers deplaned safely via normal methods and no passengers or crew requested medical tratment. The flight attendants first reported the incident as possible ciggarette smoke in a lavatory. This was found out not to be true and subsequently all the lavatory smoke detectors alerted the crew to smoke. A strong smell of oil burning was noticed in the cabin along which was determined to be from the right engine bleed air system. The engine was not shut down.
Oxygen masks were deployed by crew, passengers were briefed on emergency procedures, and passengers removed and donned life vests. The flight diverted and declared an emergency and returned to lax without further incident.
Upon arrival it was noted the right engine was leaking oil from gang drain number 3 and 4, which come from the integrated drive generator (3) and the starter (4). After the aircraft was taken to the united maintenance hangar it was also noted that jet fuel was coming from the right engine gang drain number 7, which is the low pressure furl pump. A visual examination of the enine gas path showed evidence of oil leakage from the area around the engine gearbox tower shaft into the fan stream. These conditions indicate a failure of the number two engine gearbox and or gearbox seals of an undetermined origin.
United aircraft maintenance crews are consulting with maintenance control and will likely replace the engine as well as replace a ship set of oxygen masks, oxygen generators, life vests, pbe's, and various emergency quipment used during the incident. After removal of the engine an engine teardown will provide further indciations of the source and nature of the right engine gearbox technical issues.
As the FAA filed it
UNITED FLIGHT 1296, A BOEING 752, LAX-KONA, HI, RETURNED AND LANDED LAX RUNWAY 7L WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AFTER PILOT REPORTING RIGHT ENGINE ISSUES WITH SMOKE IN CABIN AND COCKPIT.
UPON ARRIVAL ALL PASSENGERS DEPLANED SAFELY VIA NORMAL METHODS AND NO PASSENGERS OR CREW REQUESTED MEDICAL TRATMENT. THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS FIRST REPORTED THE INCIDENT AS POSSIBLE CIGGARETTE SMOKE IN A LAVATORY. THIS WAS FOUND OUT NOT TO BE TRUE AND SUBSEQUENTLY ALL THE LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTORS ALERTED THE CREW TO SMOKE. A STRONG SMELL OF OIL BURNING WAS NOTICED IN THE CABIN ALONG WHICH WAS DETERMINED TO BE FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE BLEED AIR SYSTEM. THE ENGINE WAS NOT SHUT DOWN.
OXYGEN MASKS WERE DEPLOYED BY CREW, PASSENGERS WERE BRIEFED ON EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, AND PASSENGERS REMOVED AND DONNED LIFE VESTS. THE FLIGHT DIVERTED AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO LAX WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
UPON ARRIVAL IT WAS NOTED THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL FROM GANG DRAIN NUMBER 3 AND 4, WHICH COME FROM THE INTEGRATED DRIVE GENERATOR (3) AND THE STARTER (4). AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO THE UNITED MAINTENANCE HANGAR IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT JET FUEL WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE GANG DRAIN NUMBER 7, WHICH IS THE LOW PRESSURE FURL PUMP. A VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE ENINE GAS PATH SHOWED EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE FROM THE AREA AROUND THE ENGINE GEARBOX TOWER SHAFT INTO THE FAN STREAM. THESE CONDITIONS INDICATE A FAILURE OF THE NUMBER TWO ENGINE GEARBOX AND OR GEARBOX SEALS OF AN UNDETERMINED ORIGIN.
UNITED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE CREWS ARE CONSULTING WITH MAINTENANCE CONTROL AND WILL LIKELY REPLACE THE ENGINE AS WELL AS REPLACE A SHIP SET OF OXYGEN MASKS, OXYGEN GENERATORS, LIFE VESTS, PBE'S, AND VARIOUS EMERGENCY QUIPMENT USED DURING THE INCIDENT. AFTER REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE AN ENGINE TEARDOWN WILL PROVIDE FURTHER INDCIATIONS OF THE SOURCE AND NATURE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE GEARBOX TECHNICAL ISSUES.