Incident Overview
A scheduled international commuter flight experienced an engine fire during the climb phase. The flight crew observed a fire in the number one engine and immediately executed the emergency checklist, discharging two fire extinguisher bottles. However, flames continued to exit the tailpipe.
Forced Landing
The crew performed a forced landing to an intermediate field and shut the aircraft down. At that point, the fire stopped.
Post-Inspection Findings
Examination of the engine revealed that the aft turbine bearing had failed. The bearing exhibited evidence of being misaligned at installation. Additionally, the bearing retainer showed no evidence of the required nitriding process, which accelerated the failure.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the engine fire resulted from a bearing failure caused by misalignment during installation and lack of required nitriding on the retainer.