Investigators found no oil in the right-side Rolls-Royce BR715-C1 engine of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 following an emergency landing in February that involved a “tremendous” amount of cabin smoke.
“During a post-incident examination, maintenance personnel found no oil visible in the sight glass of the right engine oil reservoir, indicating the quantity was at or near zero,” says the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in a preliminary report into the 24 February incident.
“Examination of the right engine’s components continues,” it adds.
Flight attendants aboard the jet (N942AT), operating as flight 876 from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport to Columbia, South Carolina, noticed smoke in the cabin during the take-off roll and attempted to notify the pilots.
“The lead [flight attendant] recalled that the smoke was very thick, and that he was unable to see past the first row of seats,” the report says.
The pilots told investigators they heard knocking on the cockpit door just as the jet rotated for take-off, and that they saw smoke rising from the rear cockpit floor.
“They donned their oxygen masks and initially delayed responding to the flight attendant calls, as the captain focused on flying the airplane while [the] first officer declared an emergency with air traffic control,” the report says.
The pilots then received a low oil pressure warning for the starboard BR715, leading them to shut down the powerplant and return to Atlanta. They reported that their “visibility was restricted due to the smoke and the face mask”.
After safely landing and stopping the jet, “the pilots opened the flightdeck door, noticed a ‘tremendous’ amount of smoke in the cabin, and the captain immediately ordered an evacuation”, says the NTSB.
Five crew and 94 passengers were aboard the 717. The incident left two passengers with minor injuries, says the NTSB, whose investigations continue.
