Earlier this month, a Malta Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating on behalf of Ryanair experienced an in-flight engine shutdown in one of the more bizarre aviation incidents you’ll hear about. According to Malta’s aviation regulator, one of the engine’s CFM LEAP-1B engines temporarily shut down after a cockpit sun visor detached and hit an engine start lever, cutting off fuel supply to the engine.
This resulted in the flight crew declaring urgency to the control tower before restarting the engine and continuing their flight to the intended destination. There were no injuries reported onboard, and the aircraft landed at its destination 29 minutes behind schedule. Since the aircraft is registered within the state of Malta, the state has decided to open an investigation.
Detached Sun Visor Shuts Down Engine
Ryanair Group’s Malta Air flight earlier this month suffered an engine shutdown shortly after departing Krakow (KRK), Poland, en route to Milan Bergamo (BGY), Italy. According to The Aviation Herald, the aircraft involved was a four-year-old Boeing 737 MAX 8200, with a strange series of events leading to the temporary loss of an engine during climb-out. This apparently happened after a sun visor detached from its position and hit a fuel cut-off switch, subsequently shutting down one of the LEAP-1B engines.
Additional data corroborated by data from FlightRadar24 shows that this happened when the aircraft was performing its initial climb-out from Krakow, at an altitude of around 8,000 feet. Due to the nature of the incident and the low altitude, the flight crew made the “PAN PAN” call on the radio, declaring urgency (NOT DISTRESS). The aircraft climbed to Flight Level 100 (FL 100), where it maintained its level until the crew managed to restart the engine, before canceling the “PAN PAN”, continuing its climb, and proceeding to its destination.
Simple Flying has reached out to the airline. Any response received will be updated in this article. Reports indicate that the state of Malta has opened an investigation, and the Times of Malta reported the following statement from the Ryanair Group,
“As this is subject of an ongoing investigation, which we are cooperating fully with, we are unable to comment.”
Operating With Only One Engine
While in this case it was not an engine failure but an accidental shutdown of sorts, many might find the prospect of flying with only one engine to be a little scary. Most jet aircraft flying today are capable of safely landing at the nearest suitable airport in the event of an engine failure. The ability for an aircraft to perform in such conditions is, of course, tested by manufacturers during its certification process, and procedures are established as well.
Furthermore, engine failure and related procedures are taught to pilots and feature in their recurrent simulator sessions. Despite aviation being the safest mode of transportation and the chances of shutdowns being low, it is still important for pilots to know how to react in such situations, especially with the automation and technologies available to pilots these days.
With systems and technologies improving and aircraft capable of flying further, ETOPS has also been improving. ETOPS stands for “Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards,” and this rating essentially defines how long an aircraft can fly from the nearest suitable airport. Higher ETOPS certification is what allowed twin-engined jets to fly across the oceans more efficiently and directly, and this also allows narrowbody aircraft types belonging to the Boeing 737 MAX family and Airbus A320neo family to operate across the transatlantic markets.
The Widebody Aircraft Flying The Most ETOPS Routes In The World
The Boeing 777 has flown more ETOPS routes than any other commercial aircraft.
Difference Between “PAN PAN” And “MAYDAY” Callouts
The aforementioned “PAN PAN” callout is an internationally recognized emergency call that pilots can use to indicate there is an emergency or urgency onboard. However, it is worth noting that the callout implies that, despite the state of emergency or urgency, the situation currently is not life-threatening, but if no action is taken, it can lead to the situation worsening or being classified as a “MAYDAY”.
Speaking of which, the “MAYDAY” callout is the more recognized international callout for distress, which the aviation industry adapted from the maritime industry. An aircraft making this callout indicates that immediate action is required to prevent loss of life or any form of catastrophe. As such, an aircraft that calls out “MAYDAY” will always be given priority.
Often, if time allows, a “MAYDAY” call will be accompanied by the aircraft using the squawk code 7700 (internationally recognized distress code) on its transponder.
