SF34, Canberra, Australia, 2022

SF34, Canberra, Australia, 2022

Summary

On 10 November 2022, a De Havilland Canada DHC8-200 started engines with the left engine propeller restraint strap attached. As the aircraft became airborne from Sydney, the strap was thrown free from the propeller, impacted the fuselage, and the associated securing pins penetrated the fuselage, one injuring a passenger. The aircraft returned. The investigation attributed the occurrence to the first officer not removing the strap during the walk-around inspection, the captain not noticing the strap prior to engine start, and a dispatch coordinator not noticing the strap. 

Description

On 10 November 2022, a Saab 340B (VH-VEQ) operated by Link Airways on a scheduled passenger service from Canberra to Sydney for Virgin Australia departed with the remains of a propeller restraint still attached after starting the engines. With the flight crew unaware, the restraint had been severed as the engine was started. As the aircraft subsequently rotated, part of the restraint was ejected into and through the fuselage, with one of its attachment pins penetrating the cabin and injuring a passenger. When the cabin crew advised the captain of a problem which would require a return to land and an ambulance but not the origin of the problem, the captain advised Air Traffic Control (ATC). The return was made as requested after which the context for the passenger injury became apparent.

The full content of this page is available to registered users only.
Please Log in or Register

SKYbrary Partners:

Safety knowledge contributed by: