Pilots' mix up of failing engine caused 2021 cargo jet off Hawaii

Well you had a 50/50 chance of being right? Memory items work well as long as you remember them. Loss of thrust, high EGT, N1, N2 Fuel flow and what would the other engine parameters look like at idle, never mind throttle position….. normal….then firewall the sucker cause speed and altitude are your friends.

don't think these two "pilots?" spent nearly enough attentive time in a simulator, where these kind of real world possibilites are presented and worked on. Their company ought to be looked over to see how much sim time was paid for and used.

What a cluster ....

Sounds like two weak pilots who had a knee jerk reaction over an engine failure. If it was just a partial loss of power, return to the airport and keep that partial power, even if it was on fire. It also sounds like they never bothered to refer to the appropriate check list.

Sad chain of events and confirms again that distractions can be catastrophic.

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/query-builder?month=7&year=2021

The accident date is actually 7/2/2021.

Exactly the same scenario & reaction by the pilot in charge of a similar aged 737 was the cause of multiple fatalities at Kegworth UK (Approach to East Midland Airport in UK (8th Jan 1989). A pilot friend of mine made the comment -" When one donkey shows sick don't unhitch the other one if you want to make progress!"

Years ago, I was crewman on a Navy helo when almost the same thing occurred. At 5000 ft on a cross country when one engine threw a couple of blades. Onr blade cut the fire detection element and continued on through the firewall cutting the other engine's fire detection element. Loud noises from up above, and lots of red lights on the panel. Fuel cut and fire bottles discharged on both engines. Maximum pucker factor. Autorotated 5000 ft to a perfect run on landing at Naples, FL. Number one engine was good, and would have gotten us down with a bit less drama.

I was taught Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. Sounds like this crew got the order mixed up.

Everyone commenting here should remember this event the next time a story gets posted about an accident outside of the US. If this had happened in another country this board would be FULL of comments about how non-US pilots are sub-standard and don't receive proper training. Human factors are global and not just a third world problem.

In addition to misdiagnosing their engine trouble and after declaring an emergency, they kept flying away from the departure airport. They should have orbited in the immediate airport vicinity. That would have saved the aircraft and avoided their injuries and the ditching ordeal.

I've had my share of failures around the world, both military and civilian. Dead foot, dead engine works every time, and a sneak peek at the gauges confirms.

I always thought it was the pilot's job to fly the aircraft and the first officer's job to handle the communications especially in an emergency. Why was it reversed in this case?

Pilot needs more training on emergency management and CRM.

Why not just push both thottles up together, regardless of engine indications. You're ditching, the engines are destroyed on impact with water, nothing to lose. Push the throttles UP regardless of indications if you're going down.

Reminds when an AF C-9 crashed at Scott AFB in the 70's while on a training flight lost the #1 engine co pilot called out to the AC to shut down left and the AC replied "Right" so the CP shut the Right the good engine....bad communication

The confusion these pilots experienced reminds me of TransAsia Flight 235. Both Flights had pilots that were confused when one of their engines failed, both flights ended up in a body of water in the end as well.

Without critical thinking ability, the pilots were simply along for the ride…

I can't believe it's 2023 and people are still speaking in terms of "pilot error" as cause of air accidents. Sure, there are "pilot errors", the question is WHY there was a pilot error? Deficient training? Confusing emergency procedures? Extreme workload? Saying that an accident was caused by a "pilot error" is just a way to pat ourselves in the back, saying, "oh, the other guy was an idiot! I would NEVER do such thing". It fixes nothing, it doesn't advance safety in the aviation industry one inch. It invites complacency: if an accident is caused by "pilot error", then how do we prevent accidents? Simple: by not committing "errors", right? Yet that attitude fixes nothing, prevents nothing. Not addressing the root causes of "pilot errors" is a disservice to aviation safety.

I hate to say it... But that is way too common, and then they cannot get either engine restarted. So sad!

Loss of engine is one the most feared condition for any pilot. This problem goes back to aircraft maintenance, that's what is sounds like to me. Not sure what the inspection time or requirements are for fan blades but I would assume they are pulled for inspection at major engine inspection? I'm sure at overhaul date they definitely are.

Since there were no fatalities, I'll go there. It was TRANSair. Maybe it was a rock that identified as an airplane.

CRM a factor?

Don't want either of them flying again. There are bigger issues than CRM.

Why not just push both throttles up together, regardless of engine indications. You're ditching, the engines are destroyed on impact with water, nothing to lose. Push the throttles UP regardless of indications if you're going down.