Incident Overview
A Skywest flight experienced a total loss of power and subsequent fire in the number 2 engine. The crew executed a successful emergency landing, but the aircraft overran the end of the runway by approximately 1,300 feet. No additional damage occurred beyond the overrun, and there were no injuries to passengers or crew.
Maintenance Actions Prior to Flight
Immediately before the accident flight, a maintenance person added 2.5 quarts of oil to the number 2 engine. The mechanic was unable to determine the engine's oil level at that time. No evidence was found of any assembly anomalies during the engine hot section inspection, which had been performed about 2.3 hours prior to the flight.
Engine Fire and Oil Leak
The engine fire resulted from ignition of oil that had leaked across bearing seals. Under overfull operating conditions, oil can back flow into the engine rather than drain overboard from the filler neck.
Inconsistent Maintenance Instructions
The elapsed time between engine shutdown and oil level determination, as specified by Embraer in its Maintenance Manual, was found to be inconsistent with the instructions provided by Pratt & Whitney. The Skywest mechanic may not have allowed adequate elapsed time to permit the oil to drain back into the engine reservoir prior to adding additional oil, potentially resulting in an overfilled tank.
Difficulty in Oil Level Determination
The clear color of the oil, particularly in a new engine, made it difficult to see when determining the oil quantity.
Conclusion
The incident involved an engine fire, emergency landing, and runway overrun. No injuries were reported. The investigation highlighted potential maintenance procedural inconsistencies and challenges in oil level determination.