Cathay Terrific

Want to know why I often fly with Cathay Pacific?

Because I know it has a lot of great pilots, and if anything goes wrong you want the best pilots possible. They may not always save a plane from disaster, but well-trained pilots increase the odds dramatically.

Such was the case when an Airbus A330-300 suffered dual engine failure on approach to Chek Lap Kok International Airport. First the left engine lost power after the aircraft reached cruising altitude on the flight from Indonesia. Later, on approach to Hong Kong, the right engine began to cut out on descent, forcing the pilot and first officer to half-glide, half-fly the wounded bird for 20 minutes by restarting the right engine and then struggling to compensate for the radical surges in airspeed and altitude, from too low to too high.

At the last moment, they got the right engine working long enough to bring them to the airport, although they came in hot. Still, they were able to brake the plane, setting the tires aflame in the process. The passengers were only aware of the problem when the order came to evacuate the aircraft via the emergency chutes.

While the Airbus has a backup power system that can allow it to glide for up to 60 minutes using only spoilers and flaps, it is a last resort. Dual engine failure is also rare; conjecture is that contaminated fuel was the culprit behind the shutdowns.

Both pilots are Australian, one based in Hong Kong and the other out of Australia.

They deserve a nice long vacation.

Update: as usual the local rag got its details wrong in the rush to report.

Now it is claimed that the right-hand engine suffered power fluctuation after reaching cruising altitude, and 20 minutes before arrival it went into idling mode, while the left-hand engine locked up at 70% of full thrust. Cathay says that neither engine shut down at all. Regardless, an idling engine combined with a jammed engine still makes for a too-fast, hairy approach.

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