Learjet destroyed during engine runs?

[ultrarunner]

I was going through Ft. Worth the other day and there was mention of a Learjet destroyed during a maintenance event at Meacham field. Anyone have any details?

 

[peter185]

Mx techs were doing an engine run on an LR-45 down in the "hole" (southeast part of the airport) and claim they couldn't shut them down. I went down there and the skid marks probably were ~50-75 yards long. They went over a curb that collapsed the nose gear and hit a hanger with the right wing. Don't know much about Lears but can't imagine not just cutting off the fuel to shut down the engines.

 

[SDCFI]

Sounds kinda fishy, that or the techs didn't know what they were doing. If you lose power lever control over the engine (DEEC) you can always push the FIRE button which closes the fuel SOV. I've heard of power lever jams and DEEC malfunctions but never an inability to shut down the engine. Sounds like whatever happened they panicked and forgot about the buttons.

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

I received this from an associate of mine in the maintenance field the day it happend. I am sure more details will come out in due time, but this is what he passed on to me:

Did you see the 40XR that (name omitted) put into the bank yesterday? According to (name omitted), whom I know, he reported both throttles stuck..... NOW.... that sounds strange. I have ran and taxied the L45, with the TFE731-20's. The T/S were NOT deployed, and the nose gear strut was torn free.... ooopssss

 

[ksu_aviator]

Whether or not it was a computer problem, it points to how computers present a new problem. When power levers simply pulled and pushed on a valve, a mechanic could inspect the system and determine if a problem was developing before something like this happened. With a computer, it is very difficult to determine if a failure is forthcoming.

That is not to say that a catastrophic failure couldn't happen with a mechanical system or that problems can't be found before a computer fails, but the job is more difficult.

Having flown both the 35 and the 45, I prefer the 35's systems over the 45's. But, I like old school CB's and large metal switches over cute plastic buttons.

 

[LJ45]

The Learjet 45 engines work like FADEC with the engine computers on, with them off they have traditional hydro-mechanical control just like the Lear 35 and other TFE731's.
It sounds like someone really screwed up. This is not the first time this has happen, heck Airbus wrecked a new A340 testing the engines.

 

[rausda27]

The thrust lever input to the DEEC's are received by a RVDT in the TL quadrant. Regardless, if the RVDT fails, the FWSOV would fix the problem. They could also bypass the DEEC's but putting it into MAN therefore metering fuel hydro-mechanically in the FCU.

Sorry to hear a good airplane got banged up.

 

[Fly91]

Type-rated pilots should be the only people running up engines or taxiing planes around.

 

[fisherpilot]

Type-rated pilots should be the only people running up engines or taxiing planes around.

I agree 100 percent!!! Too many things can go wrong and when someone who doesn't know how to operate the aircraft is put in a situation when things go wrong, well, look at this situation.

 

[yfly]

Type-rated pilots should be the only people running up engines or taxiing planes around.

There is nothing wrong with mechanics conducting engine runs and taxiing airplanes.

You are assuming a pilot would have never let something like this happen, that is a poor assumption. A mistake was made. We don't know what mistake or how; however, let us hope a lesson was learned by all the people involved.

If we restrict the operation of aircraft to the infallible no one will be allowed inside the airport fence.

 

[LJ45]

Even Airbus, one of the worlds largest manufacturers, can screw up engine runs

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Etihad-Airways/Airbus-A340-642/1293784/L/

 

[Fly91]

There is nothing wrong with mechanics conducting engine runs and taxiing airplanes.

You are assuming a pilot would have never let something like this happen, that is a poor assumption. A mistake was made. We don't know what mistake or how; however, let us hope a lesson was learned by all the people involved.

If we restrict the operation of aircraft to the infallible no one will be allowed inside the airport fence.

No, I'm just saying the company paid, trained and current pilots should take a drive to the airport and run up the engines on their bosses multi-million $$$ plane.

This is one of those things that will require people to die before they make it a law. Do you realize the poop-storm that will be started if a mechanic causes a fatal accident while taxiing a plane? It will be the beginning of all new laws being enacted. The public would not stand for it, its just that 99.99% of the public are ignorant that this type of thing is even taking place.


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[Fly91]

Even Airbus, one of the worlds largest manufacturers, can screw up engine runs

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Etihad-Airways/Airbus-A340-642/1293784/L/

I thought there was some funny business involved in that case. I don't remember exactly, but weren't the pilots not trained on that plane and they were sitting up there during testing?

I mean, how on earth can TWO trained pilots, if they were totally sober, not be able to stop a plane they are trained to fly? Its just really not possible without something else being a serious factor. And that Airbus took a pretty long ride before impact.

Can TWO pilots really get that flustered where literally everything they've learned goes right out of their heads and they are rendered 100% useless?

Strange..............


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[svcta]

No, I'm just saying the company paid, trained and current pilots should take a drive to the airport and run up the engines on their bosses multi-million $$$ plane.

This is one of those things that will require people to die before they make it a law. Do you realize the poop-storm that will be started if a mechanic causes a fatal accident while taxiing a plane? It will be the beginning of all new laws being enacted. The public would not stand for it, its just that 99.99% of the public are ignorant that this type of thing is even taking place.


.

So a mistake is made and the answer is more laws? C'mon, MOST mechanics are as competent to run and taxi airplanes as MOST pilots are to fly them. There are examples where accidents have happened with both, obviously, but it is not indicative of a systemic problem that requires even more regulation. By your line of reasoning, only pilots should tow airplanes, too. Or service the lavs, or wash airplanes, etc. etc. Afterall, no-one knows better than the pilots what all the little protuberneces are, tow limits, wingspan, how much bllue(green) juice will overflow the lav, blah blah blah. The line has to get drawn somewhere. Hire competent mechanics.

 

[Cat3C]

Isn't this why techs do the engine run and taxi school at FSI or CAE? I have not been part of a discussion regarding this topic but the techs in my flight department are qualified and capable to do this stuff. Additionally if needed a pilot will be with them but there are no hard and fast rules.

Not that it matters but how do the airlines treat this?