A330 Qantas flight: starter motor sheared off because no oil

[ATFS_Crash]

Mid-air drama on Qantas flight

06:23 AEST Sat Nov 29 2008

A Qantas jet serviced days ago in Hong Kong had to turn back to Perth on Friday after the crew was forced to turn off one of its two engines.

Fairfax newspapers say the Airbus A330 with 168 passengers en route to Singapore returned to Perth when an engine oil warning light flashed in the cockpit.

Aviation sources told Fairfax the engine starter motor sheared off because no oil had been put into the motor after its overhaul.

Source and full story

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=675809

(Note that whether the lack oil problem was the cause or effect is still under investigation.)

[bob12312357]

Lolzzzz
Someone's career just ended.

[Theoddkiwi]

Err why would the starter motor shear off in flight? These normally decouple from the engine once the engine reaches self sustaining speed.

I suspect it was the IDG (Generator) which need oil. In which case the oil level should be checked before any EDTO flight.

[Dmmoore]

I question the starter as being the cause of the engine shut down. Once the engine is started, the starter should not affect engine operation. The starter shaft turns with the gearbox but the starter it's self is not turning. I've had starters fail during engine start (just before starter cut out) with no detrimental effects to engine operation.

[Spad13]

i suspect it was the idg (generator) which need oil. In which case the oil level should be checked before any edto flight.

edto?

[AJ]

edto?

Extended Diversion Time Operations, still known as ETOPS within Qantas as the rules do not yet cover the 4 engine types (until 2011).

[ATFS_Crash]

Lolzzzz
Someone's career just ended.

May be so, possibly more than one. I wouldn’t assume that it would be a laughing matter. I normally think it’s sad when someone loses their job, but sometimes it is necessary. I really don’t think there’s enough information known yet to call for terminations; it depends on the findings of the investigation.

Err why would the starter motor shear off in flight? These normally decouple from the engine once the engine reaches self sustaining speed.

I suspect it was the IDG (Generator) which need oil. In which case the oil level should be checked before any EDTO flight.

The explanation and information from the article is suspect and raises more questions than it explains ( typical).

I think your question and suggestion is valid; like many I would be suspicious of the generator.

Would the starter or generator have their own independent oil supply or engine oil pressure?

If the starter and/or generator have their own independent oil supply would they have their own oil sensors? The reason I ask is the article claims: an engine oil light flashed in the cockpit. Would the oil light that they are referring to be main engine oil or would it be independent/dedicated generator or starter oil light?

As near as I can tell the engine is a PW4000.

Another article on the story.

A Qantas Airbus A330-300, registration VH-QPJ performing flight QF77 from Perth,WA (Australia) to Singapore (Singapore) with 168 passengers, returned to Perth after the crew received a low engine oil warning and had to shut the engine down. The aircraft landed safely.

Source and full story.

http://avherald.com/h?article=410d70b7&opt=0

It would be nice if anyone else sees any follow-up stories or information on this malfunction and investigation: please post. I am interested to see more evidence and findings.

If the starter and/or generator is lubricated off of engine oil pressure; isn’t the oil level checked as part of the preflight? If the oil is independent for the starter and/or generator then how often are they checked, as every preflight, or on a maintenance schedule?

I’m wondering if the cause was low/no oil, then how could it runs so long without failure or without being caught?

It makes me suspect that possibly something failed that caused an oil leak and loss of pressure. Similar to what David Cox, the executive general manager of Qantas Engineering suggested as a possibility.

[AJ]

As near as I can tell the engine is a PW4000.

Qantas A330-303s use GE CF6-80E1A2s.

[MCM]

How about starter motor suffers damage (through start, or existing fault), creating a location for oil to leak out. Leak is sufficiently slow that it is not noticed until in cruise when the level has decreased to a low qty level, when the engine is shut down to protect it.