Catastrophic failure of one engine more likely than not as a result of an engine compressor stall may have been the cause of the crash of Flight 587 in Queens, New York.

Given that flight 587 was taking off and the engines were at high power for take off its likely that the engine that came apart and fell off the aircraft was the result of a compressor stall. The popping that witnesses reported hearing may have been the sound of a jet engine compressor stall. The reason for such a stall sometimes can be attributed to foreign objects like an aircraft mechanic's tool or a bolt or some other object left in the intake section of the engine. The object is then sucked into the compressor section of the jet engine by the suction created by the engine. Once the object makes contact with the compressor section the smooth air flow is disrupted and the tiny compressor blades spinning at near the speed of sound begin to stall and the compressor becomes unbalanced and the engine begins to come apart. The stalling of these tiny blades is recognized by a loud popping sound. It sounds like a rapidly fired gun.

Another possible scenario is the tiny compressor blades fail and come off of the compressor like supersonic projectiles. This is usually caused by some metallurgic defect in the tiny blade or blades that fail. Nonetheless, the information points to a compressor stall and subsequently the catastrophic failure of the engine. The vibration must have been so great it tore the engine from the wing. The engine that fell and landed on the gas station parking lot is the likely failed engine that caused the crash. From the eyewitness accounts of the popping noise and the aircraft coming apart in the air and suddenly coming straight down tends to support the engine compressor stall theory for the cause of the crash.

The emergency procedure for such an event is to secure the engine to avoid a fire and land as soon as possible. This is because the engine is hot and fuel continues to flow to it even though it is not producing power and the debris from the stalled engine will adversely effect continued flight. Normally if the pilots recognize a compressor stall in time they immediately secure the affected engine and turn to land at the closest available air field and declare an emergency with the FAA. It was reported today the FAA transcripts were silent which would indicate that flight 587 came apart immediately after the compressor stall.

Every professionally trained pilot knows the golden rule of aviation, "Aviate Navigate Communicate". Knowing this it's logical the pilots of flight 587 didn't get a chance to turn back to JFK airport or communicate to the FAA the emergency that their aircraft was experiencing a catastrophic failure of a dynamic component. One of the engines on American Airlines flight 587 failed during take off which is the most vulnerable moment of any flight and consequently all crew and passengers were killed. God rest their souls.


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