Summary
- A 767-300ER diverted to Bangor due to engine issues during transatlantic flight, landing safely at 4:22 am.
- Engine problem caused slowdown over Nova Scotia, leading to diversion. Omni Air serves Department of Defense regularly.
- Engine rollback on #1 reported, prompting maintenance inspection. Engine failures, though uncommon, can occur for various reasons.
A 767-300ER operating for Omni Air International diverted to Bangor, Maine, after suffering engine problems, which prevented the aircraft from proceeding on its planned Atlantic crossing in the early morning hours of March 11th. The flight landed safely at Bangor International Airport (BGR) at 4:22 am.
The flight had begun at 1:35 am when Omni Air International flight 1911 departed Baltimore Washington International (BWI) for Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. The flight was routine for Omni Air International, as the service, along with its parent company ATSG, regularly operates aircraft for the US—Department of Defense.
Flight 1911 that day would be operated by N468AX, a 22-year-old 767-300ER that was originally delivered to Royal Air Maroc, where it operated for 18 years on lease from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) before that company would become AerCap. N468AX is equipped with two CF6-80 engines, with each engine capable of producing a maximum of 63,500 Lbs of thrust at sea level, according to the engine manufacturer.
While the aircraft itself has been removed from flight tracking services at the request of Omni Air Internation, the flight appeared on FlightAware, which showed the total flight time would last 2 hours and 47 minutes. Around 2 hours into the flight, when the aircraft was over the coast of Nova Scotia at 37,000 ft, the aircraft encountered engine problems, slowing down and descending before diverting to BGR.
The Aviation Herald reports that the Canadian Transportation Safety Board said that the aircraft reported that the #1 engine had ‘rolled back,’ adding that maintenance would inspect the aircraft to determine a cause.
Engine roll backs
NASA describes engine rollbacks as an uncommanded decrease in thrust accompanied by a decrease in fan speed and an increase in turbine temperature. Engine rollbacks could be caused by a number of problems, including icing, fuel flow, and engine filtration issues.
Omni Air International could not comment before press time. The charter airline itself has at least eight other 767-300ERs, two 767-300ERs, and three 777-200ERs in its fleet. The airline says it flies 130 routes yearly, operating 35,000 miles of flights every day.
Engine failures, while uncommon, are also not unheard of. Between March and September, a number of aircraft types and airlines were affected by engine failures, and there was a variety of reasons behind each event. One of these failures occurred on a 767 operating for Delta Air Lines. That aircraft was forced to return to Prague.
While facing engine problems for one of the airline’s aircraft, the charter airline is also facing difficulties with its pilot Union. In February, the Omni Air Teamsters pilot union voted to authorize a strike, citing substandard contracts for its aircrews.
The airline had previously been chartered to operate flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Manchester International Airport (MAN) on behalf of Air Canada when the airline found itself short of pilots and aircraft for the route. Those charter flights lasted from July to October 2023.
