What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5, 2013, about 1120 pacific time, a Bombardier, inc. DHC-8-402 model aircraft, N417QX, flight 2404, sustained substantial damage following an in-flight engine fire during initial climb near danville, California. The aircraft, which was registered to and operated by horizon air industries (qxea), was being operated in accordance with 14 code of federal regulations part 121. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed and activated. The flight departed the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (sjc), about 1108 pacific time, with its destination being the boise air terminal (boi), boise, Idaho.
As the flight was proceeding on its en route climb through 20,000 feet (flight level 200), the cockpit crew was alerted to a number two engine fire warning being annunciated, accompanied by a bang sound. The crew subsequently shut down the number two engine and activated both of the engine's fire extinguishing bottles, each with unsuccessful results. The cockpit crew continued to receive a fire indication. The captain then declared an emergency and began a descent and return to sjc, landing on runway 12L at sjc about 1129 pacific time.
After the aircraft was stopped on the runway and the number one engine was shut down, an emergency evacuation was conducted. Crash fire rescue equipment at sjc responded to the emergency landing. The 48 passengers and six crew members (including two deadheading crew members) were evacuated while on runway 12L from the aircraft's front air-stair door and transported to the terminal. No injuries were reported.
The pilots did not visually confirm an engine fire. However, the flight attendants noticed "a ball of fire on the right engine" and horizon air ground personnel reported the right engine cowling was scorched.
Aviation safety inspectors from the San Jose flight standards district office (WP-15) were immediately dispatched to the aircraft after it landed to perform an on-site investigation.
The aircraft was towed to a secured hangar for further examination. Later in the day, horizon air sent a maintenance team to sjc to inspect the damage to the aircraft.
On March 6, 2013 field service representatives from both the aircraft manufacturer (Bombardier, inc.) and engine manufacturer (pratt & whitney Canada) were on-site and provided technical support. In addition, engineers (structures and systems) from the engine and aircraft manufacturer conducted an evaluation and damage assessment.
On March 15, 2013 the NTSB structures engineer determined (via damage assessment) that the engine fire damage was not limited to the engine, but affected the nacelle and strut structure. According to the NTSB engineer, virtually every engine strut had heat/burn damage that compromised the material properties. Some of the strut attachment brackets, frames, engine mount fittings and firewalls were also damaged.
The structure in question is all classified as primary structure per the aircraft manufacturer's structural repair manual. The vast majority of the structure must be replaced per a damage survey provided by Bombardier, inc. the damage qualifies as substantial as defined in NTSB 49 CFR 830.2.
Per the damage assessment, this event has been classified as an accident by the NTSB investigator-in-charge.
On July 8, 2013, an e-mail message sent by the NTSB iic stated that a structural examination of the nacelle struts revealed no degradation of the material properties.
An NTSB structures engineer reported the damage to the aircraft was only to the secondary structure and would not affect the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics of the aircraft. Therefore, it cannot be classified as substantial damage under NTSB rules.
This event has been reclassified from an accident to an incident, per NTSB 830.2. The new NTSB case number is WPR13IA14
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5, 2013, ABOUT 1120 PACIFIC TIME, A BOMBARDIER, INC. DHC-8-402 MODEL AIRCRAFT, N417QX, FLIGHT 2404, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT ENGINE FIRE DURING INITIAL CLIMB NEAR DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY HORIZON AIR INDUSTRIES (QXEA), WAS BEING OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 121. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED AND ACTIVATED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE NORMAN Y. MINETA SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SJC), ABOUT 1108 PACIFIC TIME, WITH ITS DESTINATION BEING THE BOISE AIR TERMINAL (BOI), BOISE, IDAHO.
AS THE FLIGHT WAS PROCEEDING ON ITS EN ROUTE CLIMB THROUGH 20,000 FEET (FLIGHT LEVEL 200), THE COCKPIT CREW WAS ALERTED TO A NUMBER TWO ENGINE FIRE WARNING BEING ANNUNCIATED, ACCOMPANIED BY A BANG SOUND. THE CREW SUBSEQUENTLY SHUT DOWN THE NUMBER TWO ENGINE AND ACTIVATED BOTH OF THE ENGINE'S FIRE EXTINGUISHING BOTTLES, EACH WITH UNSUCCESSFUL RESULTS. THE COCKPIT CREW CONTINUED TO RECEIVE A FIRE INDICATION. THE CAPTAIN THEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND BEGAN A DESCENT AND RETURN TO SJC, LANDING ON RUNWAY 12L AT SJC ABOUT 1129 PACIFIC TIME.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY AND THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN, AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION WAS CONDUCTED. CRASH FIRE RESCUE EQUIPMENT AT SJC RESPONDED TO THE EMERGENCY LANDING. THE 48 PASSENGERS AND SIX CREW MEMBERS (INCLUDING TWO DEADHEADING CREW MEMBERS) WERE EVACUATED WHILE ON RUNWAY 12L FROM THE AIRCRAFT'S FRONT AIR-STAIR DOOR AND TRANSPORTED TO THE TERMINAL. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THE PILOTS DID NOT VISUALLY CONFIRM AN ENGINE FIRE. HOWEVER, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS NOTICED "A BALL OF FIRE ON THE RIGHT ENGINE" AND HORIZON AIR GROUND PERSONNEL REPORTED THE RIGHT ENGINE COWLING WAS SCORCHED.
AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS FROM THE SAN JOSE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (WP-15) WERE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED TO THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT LANDED TO PERFORM AN ON-SITE INVESTIGATION.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO A SECURED HANGAR FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. LATER IN THE DAY, HORIZON AIR SENT A MAINTENANCE TEAM TO SJC TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
ON MARCH 6, 2013 FIELD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER (BOMBARDIER, INC.) AND ENGINE MANUFACTURER (PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA) WERE ON-SITE AND PROVIDED TECHNICAL SUPPORT. IN ADDITION, ENGINEERS (STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS) FROM THE ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT.
ON MARCH 15, 2013 THE NTSB STRUCTURES ENGINEER DETERMINED (VIA DAMAGE ASSESSMENT) THAT THE ENGINE FIRE DAMAGE WAS NOT LIMITED TO THE ENGINE, BUT AFFECTED THE NACELLE AND STRUT STRUCTURE. ACCORDING TO THE NTSB ENGINEER, VIRTUALLY EVERY ENGINE STRUT HAD HEAT/BURN DAMAGE THAT COMPROMISED THE MATERIAL PROPERTIES. SOME OF THE STRUT ATTACHMENT BRACKETS, FRAMES, ENGINE MOUNT FITTINGS AND FIREWALLS WERE ALSO DAMAGED.
THE STRUCTURE IN QUESTION IS ALL CLASSIFIED AS PRIMARY STRUCTURE PER THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER'S STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE STRUCTURE MUST BE REPLACED PER A DAMAGE SURVEY PROVIDED BY BOMBARDIER, INC. THE DAMAGE QUALIFIES AS SUBSTANTIAL AS DEFINED IN NTSB 49 CFR 830.2.
PER THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT BY THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE.
ON JULY 8, 2013, AN E-MAIL MESSAGE SENT BY THE NTSB IIC STATED THAT A STRUCTURAL EXAMINATION OF THE NACELLE STRUTS REVEALED NO DEGRADATION OF THE MATERIAL PROPERTIES.
AN NTSB STRUCTURES ENGINEER REPORTED THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONLY TO THE SECONDARY STRUCTURE AND WOULD NOT AFFECT THE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH, PERFORMANCE, OR FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THEREFORE, IT CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED AS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UNDER NTSB RULES.
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RECLASSIFIED FROM AN ACCIDENT TO AN INCIDENT, PER NTSB 830.2. THE NEW NTSB CASE NUMBER IS WPR13IA14
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 N417QX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.