A330 Engine failure over the Atlantic

It was a dark and stormy night and I was enroute, staring out the window, thinking about my agent telling me that I should never begin a story with the weather. But as luck would have it, weather is always involved when flying. And then, when I was least expecting it...

Bang! Engine failure at 38,000 feet. I begin my 90-degree turn to the right with the intent to keep her coming around for a full 180-degree turn. I’m heading back. To where? I don’t know. And my airspeed is decaying rapidly.

As I begin my turn I notice the FMA flashing a message ---“THR MCT” Yes, just like a woman she’s telling me what I’d forgotten to do. I move the operating thrust lever to MCT... Max Continuous Thrust. My hands are busy and my mind is whirling like the wind, but I turn on all my lights to warn other traffic I’m coming down.

My goal, which I doubt is attainable, is to maintain altitude until I reach my 15-mile parallel track. But her wings are clean and she is efficient. At the very least I’ll minimize my rate of descent. I haven’t finished my turn, and I’m maintaining altitude. And then I see it---green dot. In seconds I’ll have no more energy to maintain altitude. I’ll have energy, but my airplane will have no airspeed. I spin back my speed selection to match up with green dot... my goal. I select the secondary flight plan for a reference to a parallel course reversal.

I want to minimize my descent rate until I’m clear of other traffic, so I reach up preparing to select open descent. But wait! I stop myself. If I pull open descent now, the thrust lever on my operating engine will come to idle. Not good. I immediately press the autothrust instinctive disconnect button under my thumb. Autothrust off, I select a lower altitude and then pull open descent. I'll check the PERF page or the PROG page, for REC MAX later, to establish a level off altitude. But for now, I'm on my way down. But who is below me?

I reach down and select “Below” on the TCAS, enabling me to see aircraft up to 9900 feet below my current altitude. I’m now on a heading 180 degrees course reversal in a descent. But where shall I go?

My first officer has already conducted the ECAM items then performed the checklist. I select the DATA page and the closest airport prompt. But what is the most suitable airport? There’s no fire. I have time. Thankfully we’d been checking the weather along our flight. As luck would have it EGLL, London Heathrow, is our closest and most suitable airport! The only airport for miles with weather good enough to get in, a runway long enough to land upon, services to take care of everyone, and the manager of ATC, Munawar Chaudhary, will take excellent care of us. Not to mention, it’s April 4^th and he’s hosting an ATC pilot forum. We’re all invited!

I don’t want to fly across the tracks, but maintaining the current driftdown parallel on the track will take me 200 miles before I can turn. I want to turn to Heathrow now and I no longer need green dot. I speed up, and reselect autothrust to get down quicker. Once below the tracks at FL280 we can go direct.

We talked to dispatch and ATC, and told the flight attendants the plan of action. Life is good and we're on our way to EGLL.

Click Here to join us for the Heathrow Party! You are Invited!

Enjoy the Journey!

~ Karlene