CHI94IA134

NTSB incident investigation · British Aerospace BAE-146-200 · Chicago, IL · April 17, 1994

Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal report
Date
April 17, 1994, 11:35 local (16:35 UTC)
Place
Chicago, IL
Injuries
72 uninjured
Damage
No damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N609AWBritish Aerospace BAE-146-200
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 25, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
Case key
9402

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.

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Probable cause

a loose fuel nozzle.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

FireClimb - to cruise
Fuel system,nozzle - looseCause

Analysis

During climb after takeoff the number two engine fire warning activated. The flight crew secured the engine and completed the emergency checklist. The captain declared an emergency and returned to the airport. After landing, the captain directed the first officer, and the fire department to visually inspect the number two engine. No fire damage was evident. The airplane was taxied to the gate and the passengers were deplaned. Examination of the engine revealed a loose fuel nozzle in the right hand fuel manifold on the number two engine.

Factual narrative

On April 17, 1994, at 1135 central daylight time, a British Aerospace BAe-146, N609AW, operated by Air Wisconsin, Inc., as United Express flight 5272, had a fire warning in the number-two engine during climb after departure from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois. The flight crew shut down the engine, activated the fire extinguisher, declared an emergency, and landed at O'Hare without further incident. There were no injuries to the four crew members, or 68 passengers aboard the airplane. There was no emergency evacuation. The flight was a domestic passenger flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 121, from Chicago to Lexington, Kentucky. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and an IFR flight plan was filed.

The captain stated he directed the first officer and the ground fire personnel to visually inspect the engine after the airplane cleared the runway. There was no sign of fire. The airplane was taxied to the gate, and the passengers were deplaned.

When the number two engine was inspected, a loose fuel nozzle was found in the right hand fuel manifold. The fuel manifold was installed on this engine on February 5, 1994. The manifold had accrued 401 hours and 543 cycles since installation.

Aircraft

Registration
N609AW
Reported as
British Aerospace BAE-146-200 (BAE-146-20)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
E2070
Airframe hours
13,385
Engine
Lycoming ALF-502R-5, 7,000 lbs thrust, turbo fan
Damage
No damage
Fire
In-Flight
Flight
Part 121
Registered owner
Air Wisconsin, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Transport
Last inspection
Continuous airworthiness · April 16, 1994 · 0 hours before
Destination
LEX · Lexington, KY
Flight plan
IFR

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
48
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
18,528 total · 5,692 in this make and model · 213 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
310° at 16 knots
Visibility
12 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
55 °F, dew point 30 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
ORD, 10 nm away

Other investigations on N609AW · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.