Takeoff Abort
During the takeoff roll, the crew heard a loud oscillating sound and decided to abort the takeoff. The tower subsequently reported that fire was visible from the right engine. The aircraft was brought to a stop, and the crew initiated the engine fire and emergency evacuation checklists.
Evacuation
The forward right service door was opened, but the evacuation slide did not inflate. The airstairs were then deployed, and all occupants deplaned via the airstairs.
Inspection Findings
An inspection revealed that an engine bearing cage had disintegrated. The evacuation slide was later tested and functioned properly; however, its inflation bottle was found to be empty.
Bottle Pressure Check Confusion
The inflation bottle had not been checked on the day of the incident due to a change in the operations manual that caused confusion regarding responsibility for performing daily pressure checks. The manual states that it is the captain's responsibility to ensure the bottle is pressurized, but it is not an item on the preflight checklist. The flight crew believed maintenance personnel were performing the checks, while maintenance personnel thought the crews were checking the bottles. The bottles have a history of sometimes losing pressure over time.