What happened
On March 10, 2016, at approximately 16:11 UTC, an AVRO 146-RJ100, registration HB-IYT, was performing a scheduled commercial flight from Zurich (LSZH) to Geneva (LSGG). During the takeoff ground roll at Zurich Airport, the flight crew received a serious engine fire warning. The crew observed flying sparks exiting from the number two engine. In response to the warning, the pilots immediately aborted the takeoff.
Following the aborted takeoff, the crew shut down the affected engine and activated the onboard fire suppression system. There were no injuries to the 86 passengers or the crew members on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure that triggered the fire warning. Emergency services inspected the aircraft to assess the extent of the damage. The inspection confirmed that the fire suppression system had functioned as intended. The aircraft was subsequently able to taxi back to its stand, where passengers were allowed to disembark normally.
Findings
- The primary cause of the aborted takeoff was an engine fire warning accompanied by visible sparks from the number two engine.
- The incident resulted in damage to engine number 2.
- The crew followed standard emergency procedures by initiating an engine shutdown and deploying fire suppression measures.