One of two jet engines on an America West Express flight carrying 50 passengers broke down and showered debris into the air over Colorado last week, but the plane returned to the Denver airport and landed safely, federal investigators said today.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the Jan. 25 incident involving a Mesa Airlines Bombardier CL-600-2B19 Challenger operating as America West Express Flight 2985 from Denver to Phoenix.
No injuries were reported and the plane suffered only minor damage, the NTSB said. The agency said some parts of the plane’s left engine fell off as the plane was climbing through 24,000 feet over a sparsely populated area of Teller County about 60 miles south of Denver.
Debris fell over an area about 25 miles long, the NTSB said.
The agency asked the sheriff’s office for help in recovering the missing parts, and said some could cause injuries if not handled properly. The sheriff’s office referred calls to the NTSB.
In addition to the passengers, the plane carried a crew of four.
Mesa Airlines spokesman Brian Gillman said maintenance was up-to-date on the engine but declined further comment.
Officials for Bombardier did not immediately return calls.
According to NTSB records, a Bombardier CL-600-2B19 operated by PSA Airlines experienced a similar problem on Oct. 17, 2005, while climbing near West Grove, Pa.
The plane’s left-engine exhaust nozzle and fairing fell off due to “inadequately designed attachment hardware,” the NTSB’s probable cause report said. No injuries were reported.
PSA ordered replacement hardware for its entire fleet of CL-600-2B19 jets, the NTSB said.
