Investigators have found that an American Airlines aircraft, which engine caught fire after making an emergency landing in Denver earlier this year, had a cracked engine fan blade and a component installed backward, according to a preliminary report released by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The 737-800 aircraft, operating as American Airlines flight 1006 between Colorado Springs and Dallas, made an emergency landing at Denver International Airport after the plane experienced engine vibrations during takeoff.
After landing, while taxiing to a gate, the plane’s right-hand engine caught fire, causing passengers to be evacuated from aircraft via emergency slides. It was outlined that this fire caused the aircraft “substantial damage".
There were six crew members and 172 passengers on board.
This engine was examined, and all fan blades were present, however one fan blade platform was fractured. In addition, the report found that a fuel fitting on the engine's variable stator vane (VSV) was loose and installed in the incorrect direction. The VSV actuator rod end was incorrectly fastened and secured to the VSV actuator allowing fuel to leak from the fitting.
Video footage provided by Denver International Airport to the NTSB investigation showed a trail of fluid leaking from under the right engine nacelle as the plane taxied into its gate at the airport.
It was also detailed that one of the planes emergency slides failed to deploy correctly during the evacuation process, jamming in the door. Passengers exited via a functional slide and the over-wing exits. No serious injuries were reported, though 12 passengers sustained minor injuries during evacuation.
The NTSB said its investigations into this incident are ongoing.