Fatigued turbine blade behind Air New Zealand ATR engine fire
By Andrew Curran.
New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has found that a fatigued low-pressure turbine blade caused the engine fire that forced an Air New Zealand ATR72-600 to make an emergency landing and evacuate at Wellington Airport (WLG) in September 2024.
The Commission’s final report, published on September 25, 2026, found that the low-pressure turbine blade failed because of fatigue, causing vibration and deterioration of internal air seals that allowed oil to flow directly into the engine. A second turbine blade in the same engine also showed evidence of fatigue.
The incident involved an ATR72-600 registered as ZK-MVL (msn 1328), which was operating from Christchurch (CHC) to Wellington with four crew and 70 passengers on board on September 1, 2024. The left engine developed low oil pressure during the approach before an engine fault and fire warning were triggered at about 100 feet.
The crew declared a Mayday, landed safely and stopped on the runway. Although the TAIC says it is virtually certain the fire had been extinguished after the second fire-agent bottle was discharged, the fire warning remained illuminated, and the captain ordered an evacuation.
Photo: Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
The TAIC found the failed engine had undergone a major overhaul immediately before the incident. The left engine had been removed from ZK-MVL the previous day and replaced with an engine that had recently been overhauled at Pratt & Whitney Canada’s facilities in Singapore.
The replacement engine had completed only four flying hours and five cycles between its overhaul and the turbine blade failure. The TAIC found it likely that fatigue cracking in both affected blades was already present when the engine was overhauled, although the Commission could not determine exactly when the cracking originated.
The Commission said the fatigue should have been identified during the engine overhaul and has raised a safety issue over the manufacturer’s quality assurance procedures.
The TAIC has recommended that Pratt & Whitney Canada take action to ensure its overhaul quality assurance procedures can identify pre-existing fatigue in low-pressure turbine blades and prevent affected components from returning to service.
Pratt & Whitney Canada responded, saying its existing low-pressure turbine blade inspection methodology and assessment processes already meet the intent of the recommendation. The manufacturer said it would continue monitoring the reliability performance of the component.
Photos: Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
Evacuation takes almost twice the certification benchmark
The TAIC also identified significant lessons from the evacuation of the 74 people on board.
The evacuation took 2 minutes and 51 seconds, compared with the 90-second certification benchmark. The Commission said several factors contributed to the delay, including passengers not being adequately prepared, difficulty using the two forward emergency exits, not all available exits being used and passengers taking their carry-on baggage with them despite crew instructions.
Of the 70 passengers in the cabin, 42 were found to have evacuated through the ATR’s rear-left entry/exit door, while 12 used the forward-left emergency exit and 15 used the forward-right exit. The remaining passenger was occupying the flight deck jump seat.
The TAIC found that 19 of the 27 passengers who used the two forward exits took carry-on baggage with them. Some passengers reportedly threw or passed baggage through the exits, further slowing the evacuation.
The Commission also found that several passengers put themselves at risk after leaving the aircraft by walking close to the left engine, which had been on fire only minutes earlier. TAIC said passengers need clearer instructions about where to move after evacuating and the hazards around an aircraft.
The report also identified limitations in Air New Zealand’s ATR evacuation training facilities. The available training equipment did not allow instructors to realistically simulate an evacuation involving both cabin crew positions and all four exits simultaneously.
Air New Zealand accepts recommendation
The TAIC has recommended that Air New Zealand review its evacuation training, training realism, passenger safety briefings, safety cards and evacuation commands.
The airline has accepted the recommendation and says it has already strengthened evacuation procedures and training, including clearer commands telling passengers to leave baggage behind, move quickly and move clear of the aircraft. Training on the ATR’s rear service door has also been strengthened.
Air New Zealand is also developing revised ATR safety-card material with clearer evacuation routes and warnings about engine and propeller hazards. The changes are currently targeted for implementation in December 2026.
The airline is additionally considering converting a retained ATR airframe section into a dedicated cabin emergency evacuation trainer, although the proposal remains subject to a business case and funding approval.
The TAIC said the flight crew and cabin crew ultimately managed the emergency successfully, with the aircraft landing safely and all passengers and crew evacuated without injury. The report nevertheless highlights the importance of engine overhaul quality assurance and realistic evacuation training in preventing a similar event from becoming more serious.
Photo: David Jin via Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com