Mid-Atlantic Diversion

Les Abend

Tuesday, June 07, 2011 at 06:06 PM ET

Verified

777 Simulator

Key Takeaways:

A routine oceanic flight encounters a critical fuel leak in the right engine, necessitating its shutdown and an immediate diversion to an alternate airport.
The crew meticulously executes ETOPS emergency procedures, selecting Keflavik, Iceland, as the alternate and initiating an engine-out drift-down while deviating from their assigned track.
Key actions included communicating with ATC and company, preparing the aircraft for a single-engine landing, and performing a fuel dump to reduce weight for the slippery runway.
This complex scenario, initially experienced in a simulator, highlights the rigorous training and precise execution required for managing an engine-out diversion over the ocean.

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(June 2011) The captain had completed an entry of the navigation log after passing the previous oceanic waypoint. The FMS, utilizing a series of inertial navigation systems along with two GPS receivers, was tracking the assigned course to an accuracy that was no wider than the cockpit of the 777. The digital display of the altitude pointer indicated that the airplane had fluctuated no more than five feet. The ATC page of the comm screen verified that Shanwick Oceanic had automatically received the position report. No voice calls were required. Life was good.

Well … right up until the moment that the EICAS (engine instrument and crew alerting system) screen annunciated an amber message: “fuel imbalance.”