B767-300 and 300 ER
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
I was flying the IRO position. I was on my crew rest break when I was called back to the cockpit and advised that we had an EICAS message - RT OIL FILTER. We were over the Atlantic Ocean at FL310. We ran the appropriate checklists which led to an engine shutdown. We declared an emergency with Control and diverted. We landed overweight. The passengers and crew deplaned normally. The Captain did a great job running the cockpit and flying the aircraft.
Level FL310 on the oceanic portion of our flight; we got an EICAS message 'RT OIL FILTER.' We ran the checklist; which led to an eventual engine shutdown. We requested and received a clearance from Control to divert the nearest suitable and listed enroute alternate airport. We declared a MAYDAY; announced our situation on GUARD frequency and informed Dispatch on SATCOM. We flew the clearance to an uneventful overweight landing. Prior to leaving the runway we had the fire/rescue personnel inspect the brakes and landing gear; and were told we were safe to continue taxi to parking. After the aircraft was safely parked at an off gate location; fuse plugs melted in two tires on the right main gear. Fire personnel again inspected the aircraft and determined it [was] safe. Passengers and crew deplaned normally. My crew provided outstanding guidance and support; the flight attendants were excellent. I know of no deviations or discrepancies with procedures or regulations. At the time of the engine shutdown; we had approximately 14;000 LBS of fuel in the center tank; which we had the option to dump. Based on the fuel dump and overweight landing section in the Emergency chapter of our Flight Manual Part I; and recent discussions on the subject in recurrent training; I as Captain decided not to dump. The relatively small amount of fuel available for dump would not allow us to get below max landing weight (we landed at about 360;000 LBS); I was quite satisfied with the single engine performance of the aircraft; we were going to an 11;000 FT runway while the charts called for less than 5;000 FT; and it was a coastal; sea level runway on flat terrain giving us no climb limited landing weight issues. Dump was not required; in fact some 767 aircraft do not even have the dump system installed. I did not feel I was compromising safety in any way. I landed on speed; on target and rolled to the end of the 11;000 FT runway. I do not know how I could have been any [easier] on the brakes. I was actually somewhat surprised that the fuse plugs melted after landing. I wonder if dumping the 14;000 LBS would have been just enough to make the difference to save the tires. I feel there needs to be more information including the brake energy discussion in the fuel dump vs. heavy weight landing section of our manuals and in training. Our only brake energy guidance is for an aborted takeoff.
A B767-300 EICAS alerted RT OIL FILTER while on the Oceanic portion of the flight; so an emergency was declared and flight returned to the nearest suitable airport for an uneventful landing except two wheel fuse plugs melted.