On September 9, 1985, a Fokker F27-500 (registration N242MA) operated by Midstate Airlines, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Chicago, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the left engine's low pressure impeller due to high cycle fatigue. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A takeoff was aborted after a loud bang and fire warning for the left engine. The crew shut down the engine, and passengers were deplaned safely after the fire was confirmed extinguished.
What happened
During the takeoff roll, the pilot advanced the throttles to full power. At approximately that moment, a loud bang was heard, immediately followed by a fire warning indication for the left engine. The crew promptly aborted the takeoff and shut down the affected engine. Once it was determined that the fire had extinguished itself and there was no further danger, the passengers were deplaned onto the taxiway.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the left engine revealed that the low pressure impeller had failed. The failure mode was identified as high cycle fatigue.
Probable cause
The failure of the left engine's low pressure impeller due to high cycle fatigue.