What happened
During a repositioning flight destined for Tampa, Florida, the pilot was cruising at an altitude of 11,000 feet msl when the engine experienced a sudden failure. The loss of power occurred without any prior warning or indication of spool down, resulting in engine indications immediately dropping to zero. Following the failure, the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and was informed that the closest airport was located 29 miles away.
In an effort to reach the airfield, the pilot executed standard engine failure procedures and attempted to restart the engine, but these efforts failed. The aircraft was configured for its best glide speed. After gliding for a distance of 22 miles, the aircraft's altitude had decreased to approximately 300 feet msl. As the aircraft approached small pine trees, the pilot slowed the aircraft to a speed just above stall speed and pulled back on the yoke, causing the aircraft to stall into the trees.
Findings
An examination of the engine was conducted by Pratt and Whitney of Canada under the supervision of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Investigators discovered that the compressor turbine blades had fractured at various heights, ranging from the roots to roughly half of the span. A materials analysis of these blades revealed evidence of both overheating and impact damage. While no other malfunctions or anomalies were found in the inspected engine components, the impact damage to the blade airfoils prevented investigators from identifying the specific mechanism that caused the original fractures.