The JT8D engine on this air carrier D9-32 had an uncontained failure that prevented the fire detecti...

Attributes
ACN	363544
Time
Date	199703
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 20
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah tower : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 152 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2450
ASRS Report	363544
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	363558
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

DC9-32, 500 pounds below maximum gross takeoff weight. At rotation right (#2) engine failed. First thing heard was a very loud pop followed by aircraft yaw and loss of performance. Every preflight check was SOP, basically the surprise of all surprises! Aircraft performance was very similar to simulator. Level 3 and 4 WX was all around airport so in addition to completing checklists we were deviating around WX which extended our air time a little more than we wanted or would have liked. Tower, departure, approach couldn't have been more cooperative. The biggest complaint/suggestion: the perception of the captain and myself was that we had incurred severe damage to the right engine. However, we had no indication of a fire in the cockpit. Upon landing rollout the emergency trucks were right on top of us which was greatly appreciated. We were unaware that we had a fire. No one told us! We asked the tower to have trucks come take a look and only received a roger from tower. Frequency congestion added to the confusion until we finally had to ask for a discrete frequency to communicate with the fire crew. Had we known we had a fire in the engine we may have evacuate/evacuationed the passenger -- most likely would have in fact! Witnesses in terminal rptedly saw fire on approach -- why didn't tower or someone tell us! Every airport should have a discrete radio frequency so crew can stay in loop with tower and emergency vehicles. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that they never got a fire warning on this engine and after landing he could see why. The engine was severely damaged with parts missing and the cowling was almost blown off of the aircraft. He was not sure what else they could have done to return sooner, but he would have appreciated knowing about the fire. He also feels that the flight crew should have been more aggressive about getting a discrete frequency sooner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE JT8D ENG ON THIS ACR D9-32 HAD AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE THAT PREVENTED THE FIRE DETECTION SYS FROM ALERTING THE FLC. NOT UNTIL THE CFR PERSONNEL GAVE THEIR POST FIRE RPT DID THEY LEARN THAT THE ENG HAD BEEN BURNING.

Narrative: DC9-32, 500 LBS BELOW MAX GROSS TKOF WT. AT ROTATION R (#2) ENG FAILED. FIRST THING HEARD WAS A VERY LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY ACFT YAW AND LOSS OF PERFORMANCE. EVERY PREFLT CHK WAS SOP, BASICALLY THE SURPRISE OF ALL SURPRISES! ACFT PERFORMANCE WAS VERY SIMILAR TO SIMULATOR. LEVEL 3 AND 4 WX WAS ALL AROUND ARPT SO IN ADDITION TO COMPLETING CHKLISTS WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND WX WHICH EXTENDED OUR AIR TIME A LITTLE MORE THAN WE WANTED OR WOULD HAVE LIKED. TWR, DEP, APCH COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE COOPERATIVE. THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT/SUGGESTION: THE PERCEPTION OF THE CAPT AND MYSELF WAS THAT WE HAD INCURRED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE R ENG. HOWEVER, WE HAD NO INDICATION OF A FIRE IN THE COCKPIT. UPON LNDG ROLLOUT THE EMER TRUCKS WERE RIGHT ON TOP OF US WHICH WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED. WE WERE UNAWARE THAT WE HAD A FIRE. NO ONE TOLD US! WE ASKED THE TWR TO HAVE TRUCKS COME TAKE A LOOK AND ONLY RECEIVED A ROGER FROM TWR. FREQ CONGESTION ADDED TO THE CONFUSION UNTIL WE FINALLY HAD TO ASK FOR A DISCRETE FREQ TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FIRE CREW. HAD WE KNOWN WE HAD A FIRE IN THE ENG WE MAY HAVE EVACED THE PAX -- MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE IN FACT! WITNESSES IN TERMINAL RPTEDLY SAW FIRE ON APCH -- WHY DIDN'T TWR OR SOMEONE TELL US! EVERY ARPT SHOULD HAVE A DISCRETE RADIO FREQ SO CREW CAN STAY IN LOOP WITH TWR AND EMER VEHICLES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THEY NEVER GOT A FIRE WARNING ON THIS ENG AND AFTER LNDG HE COULD SEE WHY. THE ENG WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED WITH PARTS MISSING AND THE COWLING WAS ALMOST BLOWN OFF OF THE ACFT. HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT ELSE THEY COULD HAVE DONE TO RETURN SOONER, BUT HE WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED KNOWING ABOUT THE FIRE. HE ALSO FEELS THAT THE FLC SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT GETTING A DISCRETE FREQ SOONER.

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.

The JT8D engine on this air carrier D9-32 had an uncontained failure that prevented the fire detection system from alerting the flight crew. Not until the crash fire rescue equipment personnel gave their post fire report did they learn that the engine had been burning.