El Al investigating engine malfunctions

10/05/2004 05:04 Malfunctions involved engines of 747-200 aircraft, the oldest planes in the company’s fleet, that are used mainly for cargo transport. El Al is investigating a series of serious flight-safety incidents, including engines stalling in mid-flight. The incidents involved the engines of 747-200 aircraft, the oldest planes in El Al’s fleet, which are used mainly for cargo transport. El Al has launched an internal investigation into each case. In one of the more serious incidents, two of the four engines of a 747-200 stalled while the plane was on an international route over Europe. The pilot declared a state of emergency, lowered the altitude, and managed to restart the engines. „The malfunction … did not for one moment endanger the plane, the crew, or the cargo, and it is now undergoing the normal examination that occurs after any incident,” El Al’s management said. El Al has four Boeing 747-200 aircraft. One is used for passenger service, two can be used for cargo or passengers, and one flies only cargo. „A 747-200 aircraft that loses power in one engine can fly with the three remaining ones and land at a suitable airport if it is not too distant, about a two-hour flight,” a flight expert told Haaretz. „But if it loses two engines, the situation becomes more complicated and dangerous. When a pilot declares a state of emergency, the purpose is to give the plane priority so that it can land as soon as possible at the closest airport.” The engines have independent hydraulic and electrical systems, the expert said. „The chance that one engine after another will stop working is relatively small, although there are situations where one engine influences the other. „However, when a number of safety events occur, the concern is that the problems are not being identified. Unfortunately, airlines don’t always understand the problem and for economic reasons they prefer to change the calibrations connected to a specific malfunction rather than investigate the problem thoroughly,” the expert added. El Al cargo planes make frequent runs, especially to the Far East and the United States, as well as to Europe. Last year, El Al’s income from cargo transport increased by 10.8 percent over 2002. BPI