Missed cracks sparked Air NZ engine fire, evacuation took too long
An investigation into an Air New Zealand engine fire revealed that fatigue cracks were missed during maintenance. The report also criticized the evacuation process, which took significantly longer than the safety benchmark.
Why it matters
It highlights critical safety failures in aviation maintenance and emergency procedures that pose risks to passenger life.
<p>Fatigue cracks missed during an engine overhaul caused an Air New Zealand turboprop engine to catch fire on approach to Wellington, with the ensuing evacuation taking twice as long as it should have done, an investigation has found.</p> <p>The ATR72-600 was flying from Christchurch to Wellington on September 1, 2024, with 70 passengers and four crew on board when its left engine caught fire shortly before landing.</p> <p><a href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/player/newsclip/crack-in-air-nz-engine-that-caused-fire-was-missed-by-manufacturer-report-1" target="_blank"><b>Crack in Air NZ engine that caused fire was missed by manufacturer - report - Watch on TVNZ+</b></a></p> <p>The plane landed safely, stopped on the runway and crew then discharged fire suppressant, but fire warnings stayed on and the captain ordered an evacuation.</p> <p>The Transport Accident Investigation Commission's (TAIC) final report, released today, found the evacuation took 2 minutes and 51 seconds.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in