Flight History
On 22 March 2009 at 22:26 UTC, the crew of a Cessna 500 Citation I, registration I-CLAD, was completing a positioning flight from Bologna to Milano Linate (LIML) with no passengers. The flight had been uneventful.
Event Description
During landing on runway 36, the crew heard a noise from the nose wheel, followed by a loud noise and vibrations from the left engine, along with the illumination of the "LH Engine Fire" warning light. The crew activated the left engine shut-off and moved the left throttle to the cut-off position. The fire warning light then extinguished, so engine fire extinguishers were not used.
After taxiing to the parking area, the commander inspected the aircraft and noted damage to the air intake and almost all fan blades of the left engine. The commander recorded in the aircraft technical logbook: "LH engine FOD in atterraggio" (foreign object damage during landing).
Injuries and Damage
No injuries were reported among the two crew members. The aircraft sustained damage to the left engine's air inlet section, fan, and visible internal components. No third-party damage was recorded.
Crew and Aircraft Information
Both pilots held valid licenses and ratings and were qualified for the flight. The Cessna 500 Citation I (serial number 500-0223, built in 1975) was operated by Euraviation srl. It had accumulated 8,103 hours and 50 minutes total time. The left engine, a Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1 turbofan (serial number PC-E 77177), had 5,060 total hours and 1,787 hours since last overhaul; it had been installed on I-CLAD on 15 March 2005. The aircraft and engines had been maintained in accordance with approved procedures and regulations.
Meteorological and Airport Information
At the time of the event, weather conditions at Milano Linate were good. Runway 36 was dry and open for flight operations.
Subsequent Examination
The left engine was initially examined at Milano Linate under ANSV supervision, revealing damage to the air inlet, fan, and visible internal components. The engine was then sent to Canada for disassembly and overhaul, with the Transport Safety Board of Canada (TSB) observing. Numerous small metallic fragments were found throughout the engine's internal and bypass areas and in the lubrication system; these were analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) at the Italian Air Force's chemical laboratory.