flameout

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008)

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (July 2007)

A flameout refers to the failure of a jet engine caused by the extinction of the flame in the combustion chamber. It can be caused by a number of factors, including fuel exhaustion; compressor stall; insufficient oxygen supply; foreign object damage (such as birds, hail or even volcanic ash); severe inclement weather; and mechanical failure.

Description

Flameouts occur most frequently when the engine is at an intermediate or low power setting (such as during the cruise and descent phases of flight). Most of the time, they are recovered from uneventfully. To recover from a flameout, the pilot should ensure the engine's fuel supply has been restored and then simply perform an engine restart as detailed in the aircraft's Flight Operations Manual.

Early jet engines, such as Junkers Jumo 004 used in early German jets, including the Messerschmitt Me 262, were at relatively high risk of flameout. Fast acceleration or inappropriate throttle settings could impoverish the fuel/air mixture causing a flameout. If this happened at low altitude, it would often lead to the total loss of the aircraft. However, modern jets are engineered to a higher degree of technical quality and are controlled by systems (FADEC) that constantly fine-tune their performance; as such flameouts are not such a risk as they were in the early days of jet-powered aviation.

Notable incidents of flameout

• In 1982, British Airways Flight 9 suffered flameouts in all four of its engines after flying through a cloud of pyroclastic material thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung. The pilots were eventually able to restart three of the engines and make a safe landing.

• In 2004, Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 suffered flameouts in both of its engines after flying too slowly at its maximum altitude. The pilots were unable to restart the engines, and the aircraft crashed near Jefferson City, Missouri.

• In September 2007, while engaged in separation tests of the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, an F-22 "Raptor" suffered a brief dual-engine flameout while performing a negative-g, 360 degree roll with eight SDBs loaded in the weapons bay. The flameout occurred because the aircraft entered the maneuver with an incorrect trim setting. The engines were restarted almost immediately; the pilot remained in control of the aircraft and landed at Edwards AFB, California, without further incident.^[1]

References

Bibliography

External links