Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wagga-Wagga Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales American Samoa
Sunday, October 4, 2009 12:57
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On 4 October 2009, at 1257 EST, a SAAB 340B aircraft, registered VH-SBA, experienced a failure of the left engine during initial climb out from Wagga Wagga Aerodrome, NSW, Australia on a regular scheduled flight to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The flight crew reported that they noticed abnormally high indications of the left engine inter-turbine temperature and they then conducted the non-normal checklist items, shut down the left engine, and returned to the aerodrome without further incident. Subsequent inspection of the left engine indicated internal damage, specifically to the 1st stage compressor blisk airfoil section (blade). Of the 34 passengers, and 3 crewmembers on board, there were no reported injuries.
The aircraft, serial number 340B-311, was built in Sweden in 1992 and was a twin-engine turboprop fixed wing regional airliner with a tricycle-type landing gear. The engine was a General Electric Company, model CT7-9B, serial number 785210.
The subsequent engine disassembly, examination and inspection was completed on behalf of the ATSB under the supervision of a representative of the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
The observations included:
-all compressor blades were mechanically damaged
-the 1st stage compressor blisk had 4 blades broken off at approximately mid span, while the others had tip damage and diameter reduction apparently from impact and trapping of debris, much like those further downstream
-the four failed 1st stage blades had fracture faces which look similar to each other
Further metallurgy examination of the failed blades from the 1st stage blisk was performed in the UK. That examination confirmed that the four failed blades on the 1st stage blisk of the compressor showed a fatigue mechanism related to the failure.
The investigation is being conducted by the Australian Transportation Safety Board. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from:
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB)
P.O. Box 967, Civic Square
Canberra A.C.T. 2608
Australia
Tel.:
(61) 2 6257-4150 (24/7 Notifications)
(61) 2 6274-6464 (International liaison)
E-mail:
atsbasir@atsb.gov.au (Notifications)
atsbinfo@atsb.gov.au (International liaison)
Fax:
(61) 2 6274-6434 (Notifications)
(61) 2 6274-6474 (International liaison)
Website: http://www.atsb.gov.au
This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information obtained for, or released by, the Government of Australia.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Incident |
| Event Date | 10/4/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1257 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | AMERICAN SAMOA |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Wagga-wagga |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | YSWG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | -- |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 37 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | Foreign |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | ATSB |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 14 2010 4:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | reih |
| Basic weather conditions | -- |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | ENG10WA018 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 129: Foreign |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SAAB |
| Aircraft Model | 340 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 340B-311 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 35 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 34390 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Regional Express Holdings Limited |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 81-83 BAXTER ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | MASCOT NSW |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | AS |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 2020 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 81-83 BAXTER ROAD |
| Operator City | MASCOT NSW |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | AS |
| Operator Zip code | 2020 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | International |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | -- |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 10 2010 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | reih |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | -- |
| Air Medical Flight | -- |
| Medical Flight | -- |