Which twin jet lost both engines due to oil starvation, probably in the 80s?

Question

I know of three twin engine commercial jets that have landed without power. Air Transat 236, an A330 with a massive fuel leak that landed in the Azores after the pilots pumped the port side fuel down the same hole on the starboard engine, Air Canada 143 the under-fueled Boeing 767 Gimli Glider and TACA 110, a 737 that landed on a levy at a NASA facility in New Orleans after stuffing both engines with hail then messing up the relight and making it a permanent fault.

But I think there was another one back in the early 90s. I was on the distribution for Aviation Week and some other mags at work and I'm sure there was a story of a heavy twin that made a dead stick landing after losing all oil in both engines. The eventual cause was that the same mechanic had worked on both engines and had put the same washer in backwards both times. So the oil poured out in flight and seized both engines.

Can anyone confirm when and where this happened? I believe they also landed on a closed airfield. It may have been at the head of a fjord. I think I read about it in 1983.

ugiidriver · Accepted Answer

There was a tri-jet that failed 3 engines and barley made it back to a field in Florida. I do not remember any more detail, except all three engines received an o-ring made from the wrong material, your description reminded of that one.

Here are details, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Fli...

Here are details, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_855

Skipper 747 · Answer

The oil starvation case was EA 855 - a L-1011 between MIA and NAS  -
In 1983 - washers had been placed backwards - 3 engines failed -
One engine was restarted for landing at MIA airport -

All airplanes can glide (all engines failed) - 
Jet airliners happen to glide fairly well, compared to a Cessna or Piper -
Do not ever say a Boeing (or Airbus) glides like a brick -
A 152 or 172 might barely do 6 times its altitude in  distance -

A 747 can glide with all engines failed - 17 times the altitude it has -
If a 747 is at 36,000 ft (11 km high) it can glide 181 km distance -

US Airways A320 into the Hudson in NYC - birds -
The "Gimli" glider 767 for Air Canada - Imp.gallons vs. liters -
Air Transat A330 fuel leak and gliding to the AÃ§ores -
British Airways 747, the 4 engines failed in volcano ash cloud Indonesia -

Flying with airlines - many pilots make an "entire descent" gliding -
That is "engines all the way to idle" - Just call it "practice"...!
They just use power for the last 500 feet before landing on the runway -
.

? · Answer

Add a KLM 747-200 due to ingestion of volcanic ash from Mr. Redoubt eruption in Alaska in 1991? to the Skipper's comprehensive list.

We left and returned! · Answer

It was the PrayLikeAroman Airlines in-flight-auto-reverse-thrust equipped VTOL model 38-27-36 "Wholycow!" produced by Rube Goldberg, LLC, as last piloted by First Man Armstrong until the flight attendant gagged on some spittle, chomped on the stick, and he cried out "MayDay!".

They glided to a landing on the cabin floor, panting heavily afterwards with empenage in awry, and having FAA certified winks and grins glued on their faces.

Which twin jet lost both engines due to oil starvation, probably in the 80s?

4 Answers