Southwest Flight 362 Engine Failure
Oct 11, 2017, 7:58 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
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Aviation Herald
Incident: Southwest B737 near Nashville on Oct 10th 2017, engine shut down in flight
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N427WN performing flight WN-362 from Philadelphia,PA to Nashville,TN (USA), was enroute about to begin the descent into Nashville when an engine (CFM56) emitted a loud bang, streaks of flames and sparks prompting the crew to shut the engine down. Descending towards Nashville the controllers asked whether they were a divert, the crew advised Nashville was their intended destination, they had "just" lost an engine enroute. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Nashville's runway 20L and taxied to the apron requesting the emergency services to follow them to the gate.
A passenger reported there was a loud bang and streaks of blue/orange flames that turned into orange sparks. The crew subsequently announced they had lost an engine but were fine to reach Nashville.
The occurrence aircraft was unable to continue its schedule, a replacement aircraft continued the next sectors of flight 362. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 26 hours, then returned to service.
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N427WN performing flight WN-362 from Philadelphia,PA to Nashville,TN (USA), was enroute about to begin the descent into Nashville when an engine (CFM56) emitted a loud bang, streaks of flames and sparks prompting the crew to shut the engine down. Descending towards Nashville the controllers asked whether they were a divert, the crew advised Nashville was their intended destination, they had "just" lost an engine enroute. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Nashville's runway 20L and taxied to the apron requesting the emergency services to follow them to the gate.
A passenger reported there was a loud bang and streaks of blue/orange flames that turned into orange sparks. The crew subsequently announced they had lost an engine but were fine to reach Nashville.
The occurrence aircraft was unable to continue its schedule, a replacement aircraft continued the next sectors of flight 362. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 26 hours, then returned to service.
Oct 11, 2017, 11:09 pm
#17
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Oct 11, 2017, 11:11 pm
#18
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Landing length is always shorter than takeoff length. It's similar to a car -- how much distance does it take for you to slam on the brakes to stop from 60 MPH to 0, versus how much distance does it take for you to accelerate from 0 to 60?
Oct 12, 2017, 7:02 am
#19
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"The aircraft remained on the ground for about 26 hours, then returned to service."
Now this is a God assisted miracle that they can replace an engine, inspect and return to service in 26 hours... Try that with ordinary car repairs.
Now this is a God assisted miracle that they can replace an engine, inspect and return to service in 26 hours... Try that with ordinary car repairs.
Oct 12, 2017, 7:15 am
#20
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The plane is always lighter on landing too.
Oct 12, 2017, 9:40 am
#21
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Oct 12, 2017, 4:50 pm
#23
Original Poster
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Is it safe to assume Southwest has some type of a repair truck/plane they fly in stocked with parts and tools?
Oct 12, 2017, 10:11 pm
#24
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Every airline will put parts in the cargo hold of a scheduled flight to deliver them to a broken plane at the destination.
Oct 13, 2017, 12:28 am
#25
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These types of scenarios are “relatively” routine from the cockpit perspective. They’re trained and drilled relentlessly in the sim, the flows are pretty much memory related items and as long as big pieces don’t go flying off, things should work out pretty easily. Certainly a little different of a day at the office for the drivers, and of course, the pax.
Your car doesn’t operate at 500+ mph, carry 148 people, and cost $86 million new. 
No. The mechanics/AOG team usually hitches a ride on the next flight from their base (DAL probably), parts etc are flown up and an engine can be trucked in pretty quickly. If they can’t get a truck, they can fly it up, usually on a dedicated cargo flight from Atlas or Kalitta.
You wouldn’t operate to Key West with a deferred T/R. Landing without thrust reversers isn’t uncommon. If the runways are long enough and the weather is good, you can save the wear on the engines. I’ve had it happen in ABQ a number of times. That one runway is so damn long and uphill, you could probably stop without brakes either.
You wouldn’t operate to Key West with a deferred T/R. Landing without thrust reversers isn’t uncommon. If the runways are long enough and the weather is good, you can save the wear on the engines. I’ve had it happen in ABQ a number of times. That one runway is so damn long and uphill, you could probably stop without brakes either.
Oct 13, 2017, 5:58 am
#26
Join Date: Sep 2005
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SWA's major MX facilities have spare engines, and they are trucked to where they're needed, and the main element there for getting an aircraft back in service is the distance they have to travel. Two-driver teams can mitigate that travel time, but PHX-SEA or DAL-BOS can be stretch if PHX/DAL is where the only spare engine available (at that moment) is.
As far as I know (I retired last July), SWA has yet to have an engine change outside of the USA, and should they need one, methinks they'd be chartering a C-130 or some other suitable cargo aircraft to get a replacement engine to where it's needed. Either that, or use a "pool" engine, if the airport is large enough traffic-wise to have one, that could be owned by a different airline but usable by other airlines (for, of course, a cost).