What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2021-08-11-privacy data omitted citation 560, departed IFR klga to khou and suffered an engine failure enroute with damage to all ice boot surfaces
The aircraft was flying at FL410 and had experienced a couple of quick bursts of moderate turbulence. They got clearance to climb to FL430. The crew leveled off, sped back up and was painting some light green radar returns as they flew through upper level wispy clouds. Nothing of concern to note. They momentarily felt a moderate turbulent shutter, believed there was a flash and some of the instrument screens did a rapid shutter, but all came right back online. Engine anti-ice and ignitors were not on. No abnormal noises were heard, coffee was not spilled, pax were not expressing concern and manuals were not falling around the cockpit. However, very quickly it was seen that the #2 engine was slowly winding down and had failed. The fo was the pilot monitoring and declared an emergency with ATC, the aircraft was given a descent clearance, slight right turn for some storms in the descent and an emergency alternate of jackson, MS.
The crew broke out the checklist and successfully restarted the #2 engine. The aircraft leveled off at FL250. After 10 minutes of running fine, the captain got up and discussed the situation and options with the passengers. He discussed the plans with the fo and he made the decision to bypass the emergency alternate airport and proceed IFR to khou, the planned destination. The aircraft safely landed at khou.
Post flight revealed that all of the deice boots on the wing and the tail had been destroyed. They had little c-shaped cuts full length and would blow bubbles when inflated on the ground test. With the battery switch turned off, radios remained on. A ground run was performed on the engine with no anomalies to report. The company mel'd the deice boots for the wings and tail and continued to dispatch this jet aircraft IFR on revenue flights.
The FAA did have a discussion and airmen counseling session with the pilots. The conversation covered, but was not limited to; consider taking the conservative approach to emergencies, and sort it out on the ground. For instance in this case you continued to fly for an hour in an aircraft with an unknown source engine failure and IFR not knowing that the deice system for the wings and tail had been destroyed.
After post incident handling of this event both pilots resigned from the company.
The certificate management team was brought in to review the results of this investigation, look further into follow on IFR flights flown with inoperative deice systems and verification of maintenance repairs.
As the FAA filed it
2021-08-11-^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CITATION 560, DEPARTED IFR KLGA TO KHOU AND SUFFERED AN ENGINE FAILURE ENROUTE WITH DAMAGE TO ALL ICE BOOT SURFACES
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT FL410 AND HAD EXPERIENCED A COUPLE OF QUICK BURSTS OF MODERATE TURBULENCE. THEY GOT CLEARANCE TO CLIMB TO FL430. THE CREW LEVELED OFF, SPED BACK UP AND WAS PAINTING SOME LIGHT GREEN RADAR RETURNS AS THEY FLEW THROUGH UPPER LEVEL WISPY CLOUDS. NOTHING OF CONCERN TO NOTE. THEY MOMENTARILY FELT A MODERATE TURBULENT SHUTTER, BELIEVED THERE WAS A FLASH AND SOME OF THE INSTRUMENT SCREENS DID A RAPID SHUTTER, BUT ALL CAME RIGHT BACK ONLINE. ENGINE ANTI-ICE AND IGNITORS WERE NOT ON. NO ABNORMAL NOISES WERE HEARD, COFFEE WAS NOT SPILLED, PAX WERE NOT EXPRESSING CONCERN AND MANUALS WERE NOT FALLING AROUND THE COCKPIT. HOWEVER, VERY QUICKLY IT WAS SEEN THAT THE #2 ENGINE WAS SLOWLY WINDING DOWN AND HAD FAILED. THE FO WAS THE PILOT MONITORING AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ATC, THE AIRCRAFT WAS GIVEN A DESCENT CLEARANCE, SLIGHT RIGHT TURN FOR SOME STORMS IN THE DESCENT AND AN EMERGENCY ALTERNATE OF JACKSON, MS.
THE CREW BROKE OUT THE CHECKLIST AND SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTED THE #2 ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED OFF AT FL250. AFTER 10 MINUTES OF RUNNING FINE, THE CAPTAIN GOT UP AND DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND OPTIONS WITH THE PASSENGERS. HE DISCUSSED THE PLANS WITH THE FO AND HE MADE THE DECISION TO BYPASS THE EMERGENCY ALTERNATE AIRPORT AND PROCEED IFR TO KHOU, THE PLANNED DESTINATION. THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY LANDED AT KHOU.
POST FLIGHT REVEALED THAT ALL OF THE DEICE BOOTS ON THE WING AND THE TAIL HAD BEEN DESTROYED. THEY HAD LITTLE C-SHAPED CUTS FULL LENGTH AND WOULD BLOW BUBBLES WHEN INFLATED ON THE GROUND TEST. WITH THE BATTERY SWITCH TURNED OFF, RADIOS REMAINED ON. A GROUND RUN WAS PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE WITH NO ANOMALIES TO REPORT. THE COMPANY MEL'D THE DEICE BOOTS FOR THE WINGS AND TAIL AND CONTINUED TO DISPATCH THIS JET AIRCRAFT IFR ON REVENUE FLIGHTS.
THE FAA DID HAVE A DISCUSSION AND AIRMEN COUNSELING SESSION WITH THE PILOTS. THE CONVERSATION COVERED, BUT WAS NOT LIMITED TO; CONSIDER TAKING THE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO EMERGENCIES, AND SORT IT OUT ON THE GROUND. FOR INSTANCE IN THIS CASE YOU CONTINUED TO FLY FOR AN HOUR IN AN AIRCRAFT WITH AN UNKNOWN SOURCE ENGINE FAILURE AND IFR NOT KNOWING THAT THE DEICE SYSTEM FOR THE WINGS AND TAIL HAD BEEN DESTROYED.
AFTER POST INCIDENT HANDLING OF THIS EVENT BOTH PILOTS RESIGNED FROM THE COMPANY.
THE CERTIFICATE MANAGEMENT TEAM WAS BROUGHT IN TO REVIEW THE RESULTS OF THIS INVESTIGATION, LOOK FURTHER INTO FOLLOW ON IFR FLIGHTS FLOWN WITH INOPERATIVE DEICE SYSTEMS AND VERIFICATION OF MAINTENANCE REPAIRS.