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MD80 flight crew experiences a thud at FL240 and continues to destination when no problems can be detected. Post flight reveals a large dent and fan damage to the left engine caused by blue ice.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 828911 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200903 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | VHP.VORTAC |
| State Reference | IN |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | MD-82 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Captain |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Commercial Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Engineer |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 250 Flight Crew Total 18000 Flight Crew Type 10000 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying First Officer |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 230 Flight Crew Total 10000 Flight Crew Type 6000 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown |
Narrative:
Cruising at FL240 we experienced a thud. It was about 2 seconds in duration. Engines; airframe and systems all appeared normal with no discrepancies. It was hard to determine whether it was an aircraft problem or just an airspace problem. We had an aircraft in very close proximity; but no secondary events occurred. I had the flight attendants walk through the cabin; looking for any vibrations; smells; or heat. Nothing. We continued and nothing was wrong with the airplane throughout the remainder of the flight. Upon arrival at the gate; we discovered the left engine had a large dent that was not there during preflight. Damage also was in the initial stages of the engine. Maintenance personnel discovered ice in the forward lavatory service door. Apparently we had a leak and ingested the ice accumulation. I made a logbook entry at the gate and the aircraft was taken out of service.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD80 flight crew experiences a thud at FL240 and continues to destination when no problems can be detected. Post flight reveals a large dent and fan damage to the left engine caused by blue ice.
Narrative: Cruising at FL240 we experienced a thud. It was about 2 seconds in duration. Engines; airframe and systems all appeared normal with no discrepancies. It was hard to determine whether it was an aircraft problem or just an airspace problem. We had an aircraft in very close proximity; but no secondary events occurred. I had the Flight Attendants walk through the cabin; looking for any vibrations; smells; or heat. Nothing. We continued and nothing was wrong with the airplane throughout the remainder of the flight. Upon arrival at the gate; we discovered the left engine had a large dent that was not there during preflight. Damage also was in the initial stages of the engine. Maintenance personnel discovered ice in the forward lavatory service door. Apparently we had a leak and ingested the ice accumulation. I made a logbook entry at the gate and the aircraft was taken out of service.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.