FedEx C-208 Unscheduled landing

[HAZ-MAT]

One thought.... Training flight.... student (new hire) forgot to secure the dipstick back on the oil cap.

 

[mar]

Flight orig in MEM and landed MISS

I doubt the dipstick theory because they made it all the way to Mississippi (I think I even spelled it correctly). Anyway, the oil system is pressurized and I think they would've blown oil right at takeoff and never made it as far as they did.

On a training flight it's more likely that whatever caused the engine to quit was preceded by the sage words of the check airman, "Let me show you something."

But the PT6 is simple to operate and nearly bullet proof.

 

[willbav8r]

Why would that be your one thought?

It appears that there have been a number of C208 engine failures as of late. Several in Oz to be a bit more specific, and a few in Africa.

Is it because this fine airplane has become a workhorse? Or is it because some treat it as a big 206 with something that whines rather than pops?

 

[TonyC]

Re: Flight orig in MEM and landed MISS

I doubt the dipstick theory because they made it all the way to Mississippi (I think I even spelled it correctly). Anyway, the oil system is pressurized and I think they would've blown oil right at takeoff and never made it as far as they did.

"All the way to Mississippi" from Memphis International is less than 2 miles from the departure end of the 18's. I thought I read or heard they were about 35 miles south of the airport at the time of the power loss.

 

[mar]

You're kidding.

Of course you realize I live in a state with a glacier the size of Rhode Island.

Maybe it *was* the dipstick? I sort of feel like one now.

 

[huncowboy]

OK so why is the article titled: " FedEx 'Coverup' " ???

 

[TonyC]

OK so why is the article titled: " FedEx 'Coverup' " ???

It is so entitled because there were some guys out there covering up the Logos with white posterboard and duct tape. WREG has video footage of the "act" from their helicopter. No need to get all that free advertising on the side of the road for the passing motorists.

By the way, that seems to be the norm. Although there is only one company in the whole world that has MD-10's, we painted over the logos on that one when it ran off the runway, too. I suppose it's for the benefit of the observers that don't know any better.

 

[huncowboy]

I seeeeeee... it seems it didn't work lol.

 

[ShawnC]

TonyC,

Seems like a good idea to me. PR probably wouldn't want to see a picture of a plane stuck in the mud with FedEx proudly displayed on the tail.

Anyways so does the trucker get violated for failure to yield an aircraft that has declared an emergency?

 

[NuGuy]

FWIW,

PT-6s have a failure mode where the accessory case (which drives the oil pump and high pressure boost pump, among other items) "de-couples" from the rest of the engine. Basically, the shaft driving the accessories breaks.

No accessory drive, no oil, no fuel, no go.

This failure has mostly happened in the higher power versions of the PT-6, but I don't know about the lower HP variants.

Best,
Nu