What happened
During the takeoff roll, the captain of a Sked Air Carrier flight heard a noise and felt a vibration coming from the left side of the aircraft. The crew initially believed the issue was a blown tire, leading to an aborted takeoff. The aircraft was brought to a stop on the active runway, at which point the captain instructed passengers to remain in their seats.
This instruction was quickly rescinded after the crew visually identified that the left engine was on fire. The captain then ordered an immediate evacuation of the passengers. Due to smoke emanating from the left engine, passengers were unable to use the overwing exits as prescribed. Several passengers sustained serious injuries after jumping from the front of the wing rather than using the wing flap, which is designed to function as a slide off the rear of the wing.
The investigation
An examination of the left engine was conducted following the incident. The inspection revealed a failure of the 4th stage turbine section.