Service difficulty report · Shaft · Boeing 747422

Difficulty date
November 2, 2006
Submitted
November 7, 2006
Operation
Air carrier
Aircraft
N174UA
Make and model
Boeing 747422
Aircraft serial
24381
Aircraft time
65,116 hours, 7,362 cycles
Engine
Pwa PW4056
Engine time
41,258 hours, 6,248 cycles
Part
Shaft
Condition
Broken
Location
Nr 3 Gearbox
Stage of operation
TX
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
X, J
Precautionary procedure
O

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

NR 3 ENG FLAMEOUT. WHEN THE AGB COVER WAS REMOVED, THE TOWERSHAFT & TOWERSHAFT RETAINING RING FELL OUT. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE TOWERSHAFT RETAINING RING WAS ONLY PARTIALLY ENGAGED IN THE TOWERSHAFT'S MATING GROOVE AT INSTALLATION. IN TIME, THIS ALLOWED THE TOWERSHAFT TO SLIP DOWNWARD. THIS RESULTED IN ITS LOWER TEETH DISENGAGING FROM THE AGB GEARS. THEREFORE, ALTHOUGH THE TOWERSHAFT WAS STILL SPINNING, NO TORQUE WAS BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE MGB. JICS HAVE BEEN REVISED TO ALERT MECHANICS & LEADS TO THIS POSSIBILITY.