BEA to probe unplanned Air Tahiti ATR42 engine shutdown

By Andrew Curran.

France’s Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA) has opened an investigation into a low fuel level warning and an unplanned engine shutdown involving an Air Tahiti ATR42-600 earlier this week.

The aircraft, F-ORVC (MSN 1013), was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Bora Bora (BOB) to Papeete (PPT) on July 8 when a low fuel level warning for the right-hand fuel tank activated while the aircraft was in cruise.

After landing safely at Papeete and vacating the runway, a low fuel pressure indication for the right-hand engine illuminated. Moments later, the engine shut down.

This triggered the aircraft's automatic restart system and the engine restarted normally. However, the flight crew elected to shut the engine down again and continued taxiing using the left-hand engine only.

The BEA has classified the occurrence as a serious incident.

State-owned Air Tahiti operates a fleet of 12 ATR aircraft, comprising two ATR42-600s and 10 ATR72-600s, as well as a single DHC-6-300 Twin Otter serving destinations across French Polynesia.

At the time of publication, F-ORVC remained on the ground at Papeete.

You can read the BEA's initial investigation summary here.

Photo: Air Tahiti.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com