What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On January 16, 2006, Continental airlines flight 1515, a Boeing 737-524 airplane, N32626 was preparing for departure from El Paso, international airport (elp) when a mechanic was fatally injured while performing maintenance. During the pre-departure walk around inspection the first officer noticed a puddle of fluid under the number 2 engine. The first officer brought this to the captain's attention. After he inspected the number 2 engine the captain notified elp station operations that he wanted a maintenance check of the number 2 engine. Elp station operations called cala maintenance control at 0845 to advise them of the situation. Maintenance control told him to contact julie aircraft services (contract maintenance provider) and have them investigate the pilot report. Julie's sent three mechanics to investigate. Upon their arrival at the aircraft, passengers and bags were in the process of being loaded. They proceeded to the number 2 engine, opened the cowling and inspected the engine for leaks. They found residual oil in the cowling and determined an engine run would be required. The mechanics made a request for the flight crew to run the number 2 engines to determine the source of the leak. Two of the mechanics positioned themselves on the left and right side of the engine under the cowling in a kneeling/sitting position to observe first hand where the suspected leak was originating. The third mechanic was positioned approximately 5 to 7 ft in front and to the right of the engine (outboard). After the engine was started and stabilized at idle for approximately 2-3 minutes, one of the mechanics requested the crew to advance throttles to 70% N-1 for 3 minutes. Approximately 1&1/2 to 2 minutes into this run the flight crew noticed a loud bang followed by engine deceleration/compressor stalls. The captain retarded the throttles back to idle. The first officer stated that something went into the engine and immediately shut down the engine. The mechanic on the right side of the engine had stood up from his kneeling/sitting position and stepped into the inlet hazard zone and was ingested into the engine resulting in his fatality.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JANUARY 16, 2006, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES FLIGHT 1515, A BOEING 737-524 AIRPLANE, N32626 WAS PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE FROM EL PASO, INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (ELP) WHEN A MECHANIC WAS FATALLY INJURED WHILE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE. DURING THE PRE-DEPARTURE WALK AROUND INSPECTION THE FIRST OFFICER NOTICED A PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDER THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE. THE FIRST OFFICER BROUGHT THIS TO THE CAPTAIN'S ATTENTION. AFTER HE INSPECTED THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE THE CAPTAIN NOTIFIED ELP STATION OPERATIONS THAT HE WANTED A MAINTENANCE CHECK OF THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE. ELP STATION OPERATIONS CALLED CALA MAINTENANCE CONTROL AT 0845 TO ADVISE THEM OF THE SITUATION. MAINTENANCE CONTROL TOLD HIM TO CONTACT JULIE AIRCRAFT SERVICES (CONTRACT MAINTENANCE PROVIDER) AND HAVE THEM INVESTIGATE THE PILOT REPORT. JULIE'S SENT THREE MECHANICS TO INVESTIGATE. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE AIRCRAFT, PASSENGERS AND BAGS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING LOADED. THEY PROCEEDED TO THE NUMBER 2 ENGINE, OPENED THE COWLING AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE FOR LEAKS. THEY FOUND RESIDUAL OIL IN THE COWLING AND DETERMINED AN ENGINE RUN WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE MECHANICS MADE A REQUEST FOR THE FLIGHT CREW TO RUN THE NUMBER 2 ENGINES TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. TWO OF THE MECHANICS POSITIONED THEMSELVES ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE UNDER THE COWLING IN A KNEELING/SITTING POSITION TO OBSERVE FIRST HAND WHERE THE SUSPECTED LEAK WAS ORIGINATING. THE THIRD MECHANIC WAS POSITIONED APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 7 FT IN FRONT AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE ENGINE (OUTBOARD). AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND STABILIZED AT IDLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MINUTES, ONE OF THE MECHANICS REQUESTED THE CREW TO ADVANCE THROTTLES TO 70% N-1 FOR 3 MINUTES. APPROXIMATELY 1&1/2 TO 2 MINUTES INTO THIS RUN THE FLIGHT CREW NOTICED A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY ENGINE DECELERATION/COMPRESSOR STALLS. THE CAPTAIN RETARDED THE THROTTLES BACK TO IDLE. THE FIRST OFFICER STATED THAT SOMETHING WENT INTO THE ENGINE AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE HAD STOOD UP FROM HIS KNEELING/SITTING POSITION AND STEPPED INTO THE INLET HAZARD ZONE AND WAS INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE RESULTING IN HIS FATALITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N32626 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.