Tarom AT42 at Budapest on Jun 17th 2011, engine failure

Last Update: August 23, 2012 / 16:38:05 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
Jun 17, 2011

Classification
Incident

Cause
Engine failure

Airline
Tarom

Flight number
RO-234

Departure
Budapest, Hungary

Destination
Bucharest Otopeni, Romania

Aircraft Registration
YR-ATG

Aircraft Type
ATR ATR-42

ICAO Type Designator
AT42

A Tarom Romanian Air Transport Avion de Transport Regional ATR-42-500, registration YR-ATG performing flight RO-234 from Budapest (Hungary) to Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) with 34 passengers and 3 crew, was in the initial climb out of Budapest's runway 31L when the right hand engine (PW127) emitted screeching sounds as well as smoke and stopped. The crew secured the engine and returned to Budapest's runway 13L (parallel runway opposite direction) for a safe landing a few minutes after departure. The airplane vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway, where the airplane was shut down.

A replacement aircraft reached Bucharest with a delay of 5 hours.

The airline reported that preliminary examination results suggest the engine failed at a height of about 1000 feet as result of a bird strike.

The Hungarian Transportation Safety Board (KBSZ) reported on Jul 19th and Jul 21st, that the airplane suffered a fire in the turbine of the right hand engine causing smoke to enter the cabin. The aircraft landed in opposite direction to takeoff, vacated the runway onto taxiway A8 via taxiway X and was evacuated. An investigation into the serious incident is underway.

Denmark's Havarikommissionen (HCL) released Tri-national Safety Recommendations as result of joint investigations into similiar occurrences in Copenhagen (Denmark), Budapest (Hungary) and Florence (Italy), which permit insight into the events. The safety recommendation states for YR-ATG, that the aircraft took off Budapest's runway 31L. At around 1200 feet AGL the crew observed sounds like the right hand engine stalled and reduced the engine to idle. Shortly afterwards an engine low oil pressure indication occurred followed by an engine fire warning. The crew carried out the relevant memory checklist items, feathered the propeller, shut the engine down and discharged both fire bottles which put the fire out. Smoke became also visible in the cabin. Following a Mayday call the captain flew a tight right hand turn and landed the aircraft safely on runway 13L, where the aircraft was evacuated. Emergency services did not need to intervene as the fire was already extinguished.

All three investigations listed these common findings:
- all events occurred during initial climb
- "the events were all due to the initial distress of a Power Turbine 1st stage rotor blade causing subsequent damages and heavy unbalance of the whole PT assembly, further unbalance of the LP rotor through No. 6 & 7 bearing housing, and final oil leakage due to breaking of No. 6 & 7 bearing compartment retaining bolts and distress of the radial transfer tubes. Fire was then originated by such a leakage in presence of hot parts"
- a crack propagated from an internal casting defect resulting in distress of the PT1 rotor blade, the propagation of the crack was according to the low cycle fatigue mechanism.

Two safety recommendations were submitted to Transport Canada and three safety recommendations to EASA.

Metars:
LHBP 171830Z 24004KT CAVOK 24/15 Q1014 NOSIG
LHBP 171800Z 25006KT CAVOK 25/15 Q1014 NOSIG
LHBP 171730Z 25008KT CAVOK 25/15 Q1014 NOSIG
LHBP 171700Z 25008KT CAVOK 26/15 Q1014 NOSIG
LHBP 171630Z 25009KT 9999 FEW045 SCT200 26/15 Q1014 NOSIG
LHBP 171600Z 32009KT 9999 FEW045 SCT200 26/17 Q1014 NOSIG
LHBP 171530Z 28011KT 230V320 9999 FEW048 SCT200 27/17 Q1014 NOSIG
LHBP 171500Z 31010KT 260V340 9999 FEW048TCU SCT200 26/16 Q1014 NOSIG