Mech sucked into CAL jet engine

[1800 RVR]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/16/airplane.fatality/index.html

Mechanic sucked into jet engine

Fatal accident occurred as aircraft prepared to fly to Houston


Monday, January 16, 2006; Posted: 5:55 p.m. EST (22:55 GMT)

var clickExpire = "-1";var cnnStoryUrl = 'http://robots.cnn.com/2006/US/01/16/airplane.fatality/index.html';var cnnDisplayDomesticCL = 1; var cnnDisplayIntlCL = 1;[URL="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.1/misc/cl/whatsthis_white.gif"]http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.1/misc/cl/whatsthis_white.gif[/URL]
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.1/misc/cl/advlinks1.gif




if(cnnEnableCL) { var clStoryUrl = ( typeof cnnStoryUrl != "undefined" ? cnnStoryUrl : "" ); if (location.hostname.indexOf('cnn.com') < 0) { cnnAddCSI( 'storyCLLinkSpots', 'http://trinity.turner.com/ctxtlink/jsp/cnn/cl/1.3/cnn-story-ls-main.jsp?domId=storyCLLinkSpots&id=cnnus&origin=cnnsafe&site=cnn_us_dyn_ctxt&nkw=3', ''); cnnAddCSI( 'storyCLSponsoredLinks', 'http://trinity.turner.com/ctxtlink/jsp/cnn/cl/1.3/cnn-story-cl.jsp','category=cnnus' + ( clStoryUrl ? '&url=' + clStoryUrl : '' ) + '&site=cnn_us_dyn_ctxt&maxCount=3'); } else { cnnAddCSI( 'storyCLLinkSpots', 'http://cl.cnn.com/ctxtlink/jsp/cnn/cl/1.3/cnn-story-ls-main.jsp?domId=storyCLLinkSpots&id=cnnus&origin=cnnsafe&site=cnn_us_dyn_ctxt&nkw=3', ''); cnnAddCSI( 'storyCLSponsoredLinks', 'http://cl.cnn.com/ctxtlink/jsp/cnn/cl/1.3/cnn-story-cl.jsp','category=cnnus' + ( clStoryUrl ? '&url=' + clStoryUrl : '' ) + '&site=cnn_us_dyn_ctxt&maxCount=3'); } }
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS


Air Transportation


Disasters and Accidents


Continental Airlines Incorporated


or Create Your Own

Manage Alerts | What Is This?



(CNN) -- A mechanic standing near a Boeing 737 at El Paso International Airport in Texas was sucked into one of the engines and killed Monday, officials said.
Continental Airlines Flight 1515 was preparing to take off for Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston when "a maintenance-related engine run-up of the right-hand engine" was carried out, said Roland Herwig, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration's southwest region in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
"Someone on the ground was sucked into the engine," he said.
In a written statement, Continental Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner said the person killed was a mechanic who worked for one of the airline's suppliers.
"My fellow coworkers and I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of the mechanic involved in this tragic event," Kellner said.
The 737-500 was carrying 114 passengers and five crew members at the time of the accident, he said.
"Continental is coordinating assistance for passengers who need help dealing with this tragedy," Kellner said. "Continental's Employee Assistance Program team is also flying to El Paso to meet with employees."
He said the incident occurred during a maintenance check in preparation for the plane's departure.
A spokeswoman for Boeing said Monday's incident is not the first such accident. "It doesn't happen very often," spokeswoman Liz Verdier said. "It has happened in the past."
Either way, she said, the responsibility lies with Continental: "The airlines are responsible for their safety procedures."
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team of investigators from its office in Denver, Colorado,Herwig said.



Accidents like this is just a reminder that we have extremely dangerous jobs. Hug your loved ones when you see them, and tell them that you love them. You never know if you'll ever get the chance again. Condolences to the family of the mechanic and everyone involved in this tragic accident. Y'all be careful out there!

 

[SWA/FO]

Either way, she said, the responsibility lies with Continental: "The airlines are responsible for their safety procedures."

Make sure you CYA Boeing. What a Beeeoutch!

 

[1800 RVR]

Oops, double post!

Sorry. I just noticed that someone already posted this.

 

[EWR_FO]

It was a contract mx person who wanted to do a 75% run to try to find an oil leak. He was not wearing a harness which is called for by the CAL mx manual. Very sad.

 

[ultrarunner]

And this was being done with passengers on board? Interesting.

 

[EWR_FO]

And this was being done with passengers on board? Interesting.

If it was done properly, why would you deplane a whole load of people to run an engine?

 

[ultrarunner]

If it was done properly, why would you deplane a whole load of people to run an engine?

High power engine run looking for an oil leak?

Would you have wanted to be on board the U 767 during that engine run in PHL a few years ago when the engine came apart?

 

[ReportCanoa]

He was not wearing a harness which is called for by the CAL mx manual.

There it is. I wonder if CAL MTC was aware of the fact he wasn't wearing one. Could be bad for those guys, if they didn't confirm it, or provide proper literature. Not to speculate, though...

 

[EWR_FO]

High power engine run looking for an oil leak?

Would you have wanted to be on board the U 767 during that engine run in PHL a few years ago when the engine came apart?

That engine had just come out of a hot section, if I remember correctly. Apples and oranges.

 

[EWR_FO]

There it is. I wonder if CAL MTC was aware of the fact he wasn't wearing one. Could be bad for those guys, if they didn't confirm it, or provide proper literature. Not to speculate, though...

I think it standard procedure to use a harness ALL the time, regardless of who you work for. For whatever reason, this guy chose not to wear one. Whose fault is that?

 

[ultrarunner]

That engine had just come out of a hot section, if I remember correctly. Apples and oranges.

Expensive HOT Section wasn't it? Hull loss as I recall.

 

[Spooky 1]

Back in the early seventies Western Airlines had a mechanic sucked into the engine of a -200 B737. He survived, but several of his tools didn't! Scrap one engine!

 

[ReportCanoa]

I think it standard procedure to use a harness ALL the time, regardless of who you work for. For whatever reason, this guy chose not to wear one. Whose fault is that?

Point well received, but having modern safety procedures is not a universal certainty, especially in the contract world. A tragedy nonetheless.

 

[EagleRJ]

And this was being done with passengers on board? Interesting.

And because of that, this is considered a fatal aircraft accident, not an industrial accident, according to NTSB Part 830.


The harness that mechanics are required to wear when doing this: where is it attached? Maybe to a vehicle that is parked off to the side?

 

[EWR_FO]

The harness that mechanics are required to wear when doing this: where is it attached? Maybe to a vehicle that is parked off to the side?

The one time I saw it done, it was attached to the main gear.

 

[Cactus-Wrench]

Wow, tragic loss here, what a horrible way to lose someone.
As to having pax on board, I think that depends on the airline. My last carrier spelled it out that if we needed to bring the engine(s), off idle then
1. stop any fueling
2. stop boarding and deboard the a/c for safety reasons.

The timing from that kind of stemmed from the twa flight 800 and if fuel pumps are running and engines are for mx, well more chances of liability and loss in case of an accident.

Assuming the 75% is N2, that's really not (high power run) so to speak, but in my 15 years with 2 majors, I have never nor have I ever seen someone harnessed to a engine, gear, fuselage, or anything else. If there is going to be anything say part power or up, then run that mother and watch from a safe distance then go observe after engine is back at idle.
I think the only exception I have really seen to this is on the jt8d's, but comparing those with the cfm's is not even in the same ballpark for sucking up a bystander.

 

[XR650R]

I know the the 73 is a relatively small jet but those engines are exceedingly powerful and very close to the ground. Case in point. SWA did a high power static run up (MX) in MSY a few years back in a -300. The engine ended up "inhaling" a little FOD. Seems the power was set high enough (Max I assume) to suck a piece of pavement up from right underneath the engine. I assume there was a crack in the pavement. You can guess what happened next. It damn near tore the engine off the wing. A/C was down for about two weeks as I recall.

 

["GO AROUND"]

Didn't SWA have a mech. sucked into a -200 years ago in HOU? Story I heard was the splitter caught him in the head and his big winter jacket blocked the inlet and caused a compressor stall and blew him back out the front. Just what I heard, don't know if it's true.

 

[canyonblue737]

------------
http://www.bartnet.net/~jmt/user997/Pict1589.jpg