Brussels Airlines A330 Suffers Inflight Dual Engine Failures
Photo: Alan Wilson
MIAMI — A Brussels Airlines Airbus A330-223, performing flight SN358 from Kinshasa to Brussels, suffered failures on both engines at different stages of its journey.
According to aviation-safety.net, as the aircraft reached its cruising altitude of 40,000ft over Algerian airspace, the number-one engine failed.
The crew immediately declared an emergency and planned to land in Djerba–Zarzis International Airport, in Tunisia.
However, the flight crew managed to re-ignite the failed engine and decided to continue its original route to Brussels.
As noted on the aviation safety site, the aircraft suffered yet another engine failure as it descended towards Belgian airspace. “When in descending towards Brussels, at 05:37 hours, engine no. 2 failed several times.”
The aircraft’s left one was shut down as it traveled through French airspace, descending from 40,000ft to 28,000ft to continue its journey to Belgium.
Later on, at 05:45 hours, the aircraft landed safely on runway 25L at Brussels Airport.
This incident reminisces Air Transat’s Flight 236, another Airbus A330, which ran out of fuel and both engines flamed out. The plane came to a successful emergency landing in the Azores, saving all 306 people on board.
The post-landing investigation revealed that, due to improper maintenance, there was a fuel leak that caused all tanks to be emptied out, causing the dual flameout.
In Brussels Airlines’ case, the cause of both engines’ malfunctions might be related to fuel contamination. An official statement from the airline is still to be heard.
Aircraft History
This particular aircraft was delivered to Sabena in 2000. Following the airline’s demise, it remained in storage in Brussels and Bremen until January 2002, when it was taken over by Airbus Industrie and re-registered F-GHYI.
In November that year, Lufthansa took over the aircraft’s operational permit, changing its registration to D-AIME. Curiously, this registration is today active on one of Lufthansa’s Airbus A380s.
Aero Icarus
The A330 flew for the German airline until 2006, when it was transferred to Swiss, changing its registration number to HB-IQR, once again.
In 2009, the widebody was transferred to Strategic Airlines in Australia, where it remained until February 2012 having flown for Air Australia for a few months. During this time, the plane operated with the registration VH-SSA.
At last, the A330-200 was transferred to Brussels Airlines in 2013, where it returned to its original registration, OO-SFU.
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