History of Flight
On Monday, 10 February 2022, at 0417Z, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, registration ZS-ZWD, departed from Lanseria International Airport (FALA) in Gauteng province on a scheduled commercial flight to Cape Town International Airport (FACT). The flight was operated by Comair under Part 121 of the South African Civil Aviation Regulations. On board were two pilots, five cabin crew members, and 157 passengers.
During normal climb after takeoff, while passing flight level 260, the crew heard a loud bang. The No.1 engine had sustained severe damage. The crew followed applicable checklists and decided to divert to O.R. Tambo International Airport (FAOR). An uneventful single-engine landing was conducted on Runway 03R. None of the occupants was injured.
Aircraft and Engine Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to engine 1. The left-side leading edge of the horizontal stabiliser was also damaged. A borescope inspection of the engine revealed internal discolouration and failure of the hot section and its components. High-pressure turbine blades were all sheared off, and two blades had broken out of the disk.
Investigation
The South African Civil Aviation Authority's Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) was notified and dispatched investigators. The State of Design (USA) appointed an accredited representative. However, on 14 June 2022, the South Gauteng High Court issued a certificate of appointment to liquidators to settle matters relating to Comair Limited. As a result, the engine was not shipped to the manufacturer for a teardown inspection. The cause of the engine failure could not be determined due to the operator being in the process of liquidation. On 5 January 2023, the manufacturer wrote to the liquidators and Comair representatives, stating that once a new owner takes over, they would provide all requested technical support to the investigation.
Probable Cause
The probable cause stated in the report is: "Emergency landing at FAOR due to an in-flight engine failure, which was contained. The engine borescope inspection revealed internal discolouration and failure of the hot section and shearing of high-pressure turbine blades. The cause of the engine failure could not be determined due to the operator being in the process of liquidation. The investigation will be reopened once the new owner takes over the operation."