Saab 340 VH-SBA

Summary

On 4 October 2009 at about 12:57 local time, a Saab 340 registered VH-SBA, operated by Regional Express Holdings Limited, was involved in an incident near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. 37 people were on board and nobody was injured. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

4 October 2009 at 12:57

Classification

Incident

Location

Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

Nearest airport

Wagga-wagga (YSWG)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Saab 340

Registration

VH-SBA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Regional Express Holdings Limited

Operating rule

Part 129: Foreign

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

NTSB number

ENG10WA018

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On 4 October 2009, at 1257 EST, a SAAB 340B aircraft, registered VH-SBA, experienced a failure of the left engine during initial climb out from Wagga Wagga Aerodrome, NSW, Australia on a regular scheduled flight to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The flight crew reported that they noticed abnormally high indications of the left engine inter-turbine temperature and they then conducted the non-normal checklist items, shut down the left engine, and returned to the aerodrome without further incident. Subsequent inspection of the left engine indicated internal damage, specifically to the 1st stage compressor blisk airfoil section (blade). Of the 34 passengers, and 3 crewmembers on board, there were no reported injuries. The aircraft, serial number 340B-311, was built in Sweden in 1992 and was a twin-engine turboprop fixed wing regional airliner with a tricycle-type landing gear. The engine was a General Electric Company, model CT7-9B, serial number 785210. The subsequent engine disassembly, examination and inspection was completed on behalf of the ATSB under the supervision of a representative of the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The observations included: -all compressor blades were mechanically damaged -the 1st stage compressor blisk had 4 blades broken off at approximately mid span, while the others had tip damage and diameter reduction apparently from impact and trapping of debris, much like those further downstream -the four failed 1st stage blades had fracture faces which look similar to each other Further metallurgy examination of the failed blades from the 1st stage blisk was performed in the UK. That examination confirmed that the four failed blades on the 1st stage blisk of the compressor showed a fatigue mechanism related to the failure. The investigation is being conducted by the Australian Transportation Safety Board. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) P.O. Box 967, Civic Square Canberra A.C.T. 2608 Australia Tel.: (61) 2 6257-4150 (24/7 Notifications) (61) 2 6274-6464 (International liaison) E-mail: [email protected] (Notifications) [email protected] (International liaison) Fax: (61) 2 6274-6434 (Notifications) (61) 2 6274-6474 (International liaison) Website: http://www.atsb.gov.au This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information obtained for, or released by, the Government of Australia.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.