What happened
On 4 September 2017, a Britten-Norman Islander BN2B-26, registration VP-FBR, was conducting a commercial passenger flight approximately 9 nautical miles south of Mount Pleasant Airport in the Falkland Islands. Roughly ten minutes after departing the airfield, the pilot experienced a loud bang accompanied by intense vibrations and the appearance of white smoke originating from the left engine.
Following established emergency protocols, the commander shut down the left engine. To maintain sufficient airspeed while the smoke dissipated, the pilot executed a shallow dive. After declaring a MAYDAY, the aircraft returned to Mount Pleasant Airport, where it landed safely. There were no injuries to the single crew member or the two passengers on board.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft following the incident to determine the source of the mechanical failure. A physical inspection of the left engine revealed a hole in the top cowling. Upon further examination of the engine internals, investigators discovered a hole in the crankcase along with various internal engine components that had been liberated from their positions.