Narrative:

We were climbing through FL300 for FL350 when the captain noticed the #1 engine egt gauge was reading higher than the other 3. He told the instrument F/east to reduce power to maximum continuous egt limit of 510 degrees. The captain also instructed the first officer to obtain clearance to level off at FL330. We received the clearance and flew the remaining portion of the flight at FL330. When cruise power was set, the #1 engine remained within normal operating limits. The remainder of the flight was completed west/O further incident. Upon arrival at rarotonga, the captain told the in flight mechanic to give the #1 engine a thorough post-flight inspection, but we did not write up anything in the maintenance log. As we were walking away from the airplane, the in flight mechanic called the instrument F/east and myself over to look at the #1 engine and he showed us where the turbine blades had been damaged. When we got to the crew van we told the captain about the turbine damage to #1 engine. He was considering returning to the airplane to make an entry in the maintenance log, but the instrument F/east replied that the mechanic would make a post-flight entry for the turbine damage. We didn't take the same airplane back home because a special crew flew in to do the 3 engine ferry flight. We never got to check the maintenance log to insure that the engine was properly written up. Although he had an experienced mechanic, I feel that we either should have returned to the aircraft to write up the engine on the night that the turbine blades were damaged, or we should have made it a point to examine the maintenance log to insure that the discrepancy was properly logged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING CLIMB THE FLT CREW DETECTED AN ABNORMAL ENGINE INDICATION BUT ELECTED TO CONTINUE EXTENDED OVERWATER FLT. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED SEVERAL DAMAGED TURBINE BLADES. ACFT WAS FERRIED ON THREE ENGINES.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL300 FOR FL350 WHEN THE CAPT NOTICED THE #1 ENG EGT GAUGE WAS READING HIGHER THAN THE OTHER 3. HE TOLD THE INSTR F/E TO REDUCE PWR TO MAX CONTINUOUS EGT LIMIT OF 510 DEGS. THE CAPT ALSO INSTRUCTED THE F/O TO OBTAIN CLRNC TO LEVEL OFF AT FL330. WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC AND FLEW THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE FLT AT FL330. WHEN CRUISE PWR WAS SET, THE #1 ENG REMAINED WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING LIMITS. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS COMPLETED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON ARR AT RAROTONGA, THE CAPT TOLD THE IN FLT MECH TO GIVE THE #1 ENG A THOROUGH POST-FLT INSPECTION, BUT WE DID NOT WRITE UP ANYTHING IN THE MAINT LOG. AS WE WERE WALKING AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE, THE IN FLT MECH CALLED THE INSTR F/E AND MYSELF OVER TO LOOK AT THE #1 ENG AND HE SHOWED US WHERE THE TURBINE BLADES HAD BEEN DAMAGED. WHEN WE GOT TO THE CREW VAN WE TOLD THE CAPT ABOUT THE TURBINE DAMAGE TO #1 ENG. HE WAS CONSIDERING RETURNING TO THE AIRPLANE TO MAKE AN ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG, BUT THE INSTR F/E REPLIED THAT THE MECH WOULD MAKE A POST-FLT ENTRY FOR THE TURBINE DAMAGE. WE DIDN'T TAKE THE SAME AIRPLANE BACK HOME BECAUSE A SPECIAL CREW FLEW IN TO DO THE 3 ENG FERRY FLT. WE NEVER GOT TO CHK THE MAINT LOG TO INSURE THAT THE ENG WAS PROPERLY WRITTEN UP. ALTHOUGH HE HAD AN EXPERIENCED MECH, I FEEL THAT WE EITHER SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE ACFT TO WRITE UP THE ENG ON THE NIGHT THAT THE TURBINE BLADES WERE DAMAGED, OR WE SHOULD HAVE MADE IT A POINT TO EXAMINE THE MAINT LOG TO INSURE THAT THE DISCREPANCY WAS PROPERLY LOGGED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.