On April 4, an El Al Boeing 787-9 took off from Tel Aviv (TLV) to Los Angeles (LAX) but experienced engine trouble midway through its climb to cruising altitude. This led the crew to make the decision to shut down the engine and divert back to Tel Aviv.
Details of the incident
On Tuesday, April 4, an El Al Boeing 787-9 registered 4X-EDI and powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines was operating flight LY5 from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles. Data from FlightRadar24.com shows the plane departed TLV at 01:24, 19 minutes later than the scheduled departure time of 1:05.
According to The Aviation Herald, the plane was taking off from runway 26 in Tel Aviv when the plane began to indicate a low amount of oil for its left engine. A low engine oil pressure indication followed. As a result, the crew stopped climbing, remaining at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet (4,267 meters).
Photo: FlightRadar24.com
The crew performed the relevant checklist and reduced engine thrust. However, the indication continued, leading the crew to shut down the engine and divert back to Tel Aviv. After dumping fuel, the plane made a safe landing on runway 26 about 45 minutes after the initial takeoff.
According to information obtained by The Aviation Herald, the problem stemmed from a “leaking left engine gearbox oil seal”.
Service reactivation for affected passengers
The Aviation Herald notes that a replacement Boeing 787-9 registered as 4X-EDE was dispatched to fly passengers to Los Angeles. Departing at 09:45, the plane arrived at LAX almost eight hours late.
As for 4X-EDI, it remained on the ground for more than two full days before being deployed for flight LY1, El Al’s flagship service to New York JFK. The plane landed safely and without incident at JFK 11 1/2 hours after leaving Tel Aviv.
About 4X-EDI
The incident plane is one of 12 Boeing 787-9 operated by El Al. The airline also operates three of the shorter 787-8s.
According to Planespotters.net, 4X-EDI has MSN 38800 and line no. 794. The aircraft, at the time of publication, is almost four and a half years old and was delivered to El Al in January 2019. ch- Aviation.com data indicates that the aircraft is owned by and is managed by Irish lessor AerCap. The website also shows that El Al is expecting one more 787-8 and one more 787-9 to join the fleet.
The aircraft joins other El Al 787-9s in serving the cities of New York, Los Angeles and Miami in the United States, as well as flying to London, Paris and Bangkok. The aircraft has also completed some services in Sofia (Bulgaria) in recent months.
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Sources: The Aviation Herald, FlightRadar24.com, Planespotters.net, ch-aviation.com
