What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On takeoff, all things were normal up through takeoff power being applied and normal acceleration. At approximately V1 there was a sound from the back of the aircraft, and for the next second or two it was not immediately clear to crew as to what the issue was, and ultimately the decision was made to continue the takeoff. Moments later, warning lights and engine gauges confirmed loss of power on the right engine. The aircraft continued on one engine, then the crew entered into a wide pattern to work through checklists, and execute appropriate CRM to finalize decisions on best course of action. Crew announced they had lost an engine and were returning to land at kcoe runway 5. Aircraft was fully controllable and flyable, as expected per single engine performance data, the weather was good VFR, and the aircraft could land ?loaded? With retardant, but the crew decided it would be safer to jettison the retardant load, adding additional margin of safety that comes from the lower landing weight and consequent lower vref speeds. The crew widened out the pattern and jettisoned the retardant load from a high level (much higher than a normal ?drop? Level) on an unpopulated clear cut area so that the retardant would disperse in the air, then returned to the runway to land uneventfully.
The fully contained engine failure resulted in only engine debris exiting from the tail pipe, but some of that debris was the likely cause for several small grass fires around the airport, in the extremely dry/hot conditions there.
As the FAA filed it
ON TAKEOFF, ALL THINGS WERE NORMAL UP THROUGH TAKEOFF POWER BEING APPLIED AND NORMAL ACCELERATION. AT APPROXIMATELY V1 THERE WAS A SOUND FROM THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND FOR THE NEXT SECOND OR TWO IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR TO CREW AS TO WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, AND ULTIMATELY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF. MOMENTS LATER, WARNING LIGHTS AND ENGINE GAUGES CONFIRMED LOSS OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON ONE ENGINE, THEN THE CREW ENTERED INTO A WIDE PATTERN TO WORK THROUGH CHECKLISTS, AND EXECUTE APPROPRIATE CRM TO FINALIZE DECISIONS ON BEST COURSE OF ACTION. CREW ANNOUNCED THEY HAD LOST AN ENGINE AND WERE RETURNING TO LAND AT KCOE RUNWAY 5. AIRCRAFT WAS FULLY CONTROLLABLE AND FLYABLE, AS EXPECTED PER SINGLE ENGINE PERFORMANCE DATA, THE WEATHER WAS GOOD VFR, AND THE AIRCRAFT COULD LAND ?LOADED? WITH RETARDANT, BUT THE CREW DECIDED IT WOULD BE SAFER TO JETTISON THE RETARDANT LOAD, ADDING ADDITIONAL MARGIN OF SAFETY THAT COMES FROM THE LOWER LANDING WEIGHT AND CONSEQUENT LOWER VREF SPEEDS. THE CREW WIDENED OUT THE PATTERN AND JETTISONED THE RETARDANT LOAD FROM A HIGH LEVEL (MUCH HIGHER THAN A NORMAL ?DROP? LEVEL) ON AN UNPOPULATED CLEAR CUT AREA SO THAT THE RETARDANT WOULD DISPERSE IN THE AIR, THEN RETURNED TO THE RUNWAY TO LAND UNEVENTFULLY.
THE FULLY CONTAINED ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN ONLY ENGINE DEBRIS EXITING FROM THE TAIL PIPE, BUT SOME OF THAT DEBRIS WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE FOR SEVERAL SMALL GRASS FIRES AROUND THE AIRPORT, IN THE EXTREMELY DRY/HOT CONDITIONS THERE.
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