Aircraft equipment problem.

Attributes
ACN	185862
Time
Date	199108
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rjtg
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : rjtg
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	185862
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While en route from tde-lax at FL350 the following occurred: the fuel synoptic was selected on the secondary EICAS screen to monitor the center tank scavenge pump operation. During this time the secondary engine parameters 'popped up' on the secondary eics. This was caused by the #1 oil quantity decreasing at a higher than normal rate and the quantity turned to magenta at 9 quarts remaining. Over the next 15-20 min we observed the quantity drop to 4 quarts at which time the decision was made to divert to narita international. We advised tokyo center via tokyo radio of the nature of our problem and our desire to go to nrt. We also began requesting FL290 which the highest altitude we could maintain on 3 engines. As the oil quantity fell we reduced engine thrust to idle to allow engine cool down prior to shut off. Request for course reversal and lower altitude were repeated. When oil quantity indicated zero the #1 engine was shut down and ATC was advised of this along with more requests for descent. In addition, fuel dumping was initiated as the airspeed decayed toward the yellow min arc, with still no descent clearance, we declared an emergency turned off track to the north and began a descent to FL290. ATC then gave us clearance to FL290 and back to nrt. Maintenance found a broken oil pressure line on #1 engine. If ATC had provided prompter assistance in the form of lower altitudes a disruption of traffic could have been avoided. Even after the emergency was declared with nrt WX at 200 ft and 1600 meters, ATC sandwiched an aircraft into final ahead of us for runway 34 with only 2 mi separation setting up a potential 3 engine missed approach in bad WX. As for the oil indication, the advanced cockpit widebody transport with 4 engines has had an indication problem on oil quantity for engines 3 and 4 since the beginning of delivery. After start and departure the oil quantity on 3 and 4 fall from 20/24 quarts to 9 and sometimes 5 quarts, causing the display to indicate magenta quantities and negating the alerting function of 'pop up' and color change when oil quantities fall. If we had broken a line on 3 or 4 we would most likely have missed the problem until the engine was severely damaged. Aircraft manufacturer or engine manufacturer need to rectify this problem as soon as possible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM TDE-LAX AT FL350 THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: THE FUEL SYNOPTIC WAS SELECTED ON THE SECONDARY EICAS SCREEN TO MONITOR THE CENTER TANK SCAVENGE PUMP OP. DURING THIS TIME THE SECONDARY ENG PARAMETERS 'POPPED UP' ON THE SECONDARY EICS. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE #1 OIL QUANTITY DECREASING AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE AND THE QUANTITY TURNED TO MAGENTA AT 9 QUARTS REMAINING. OVER THE NEXT 15-20 MIN WE OBSERVED THE QUANTITY DROP TO 4 QUARTS AT WHICH TIME THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO NARITA INTL. WE ADVISED TOKYO CENTER VIA TOKYO RADIO OF THE NATURE OF OUR PROBLEM AND OUR DESIRE TO GO TO NRT. WE ALSO BEGAN REQUESTING FL290 WHICH THE HIGHEST ALT WE COULD MAINTAIN ON 3 ENGS. AS THE OIL QUANTITY FELL WE REDUCED ENG THRUST TO IDLE TO ALLOW ENG COOL DOWN PRIOR TO SHUT OFF. REQUEST FOR COURSE REVERSAL AND LOWER ALT WERE REPEATED. WHEN OIL QUANTITY INDICATED ZERO THE #1 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND ATC WAS ADVISED OF THIS ALONG WITH MORE REQUESTS FOR DSCNT. IN ADDITION, FUEL DUMPING WAS INITIATED AS THE AIRSPD DECAYED TOWARD THE YELLOW MIN ARC, WITH STILL NO DSCNT CLRNC, WE DECLARED AN EMER TURNED OFF TRACK TO THE N AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO FL290. ATC THEN GAVE US CLRNC TO FL290 AND BACK TO NRT. MAINT FOUND A BROKEN OIL PRESSURE LINE ON #1 ENG. IF ATC HAD PROVIDED PROMPTER ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF LOWER ALTS A DISRUPTION OF TFC COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. EVEN AFTER THE EMER WAS DECLARED WITH NRT WX AT 200 FT AND 1600 METERS, ATC SANDWICHED AN ACFT INTO FINAL AHEAD OF US FOR RWY 34 WITH ONLY 2 MI SEPARATION SETTING UP A POTENTIAL 3 ENG MISSED APCH IN BAD WX. AS FOR THE OIL INDICATION, THE ADVANCED COCKPIT WDB WITH 4 ENGS HAS HAD AN INDICATION PROBLEM ON OIL QUANTITY FOR ENGS 3 AND 4 SINCE THE BEGINNING OF DELIVERY. AFTER START AND DEP THE OIL QUANTITY ON 3 AND 4 FALL FROM 20/24 QUARTS TO 9 AND SOMETIMES 5 QUARTS, CAUSING THE DISPLAY TO INDICATE MAGENTA QUANTITIES AND NEGATING THE ALERTING FUNCTION OF 'POP UP' AND COLOR CHANGE WHEN OIL QUANTITIES FALL. IF WE HAD BROKEN A LINE ON 3 OR 4 WE WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE MISSED THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE ENG WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. ACFT MANUFACTURER OR ENG MANUFACTURER NEED TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM ASAP.

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.