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#1
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03-20-2017, 09:10 PM
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Regional Express Flight ZL768 Loses Propeller
In 2017, a significant incident occurred involving Regional Express (REX) Flight ZL768. This flight, operated by a Saab 340B aircraft registered as VH-NRX, experienced a critical failure when the propeller from the right-hand engine separated from its shaft. The incident took place while the aircraft was approximately 20km from Sydney Airport. The propeller assembly was observed by the first officer detaching and rotating upwards and to the right, moving away from the aircraft without making contact. The separation was at the shaft, and all fittings at the main assembly remained intact. Following this incident, REX proactively withdrew five aircraft with propeller gearboxes and shafts of the same series as VH-NRX as a precaution. These aircraft were scheduled to have their propeller gearboxes and shafts replaced. The airline was in contact with the aircraft manufacturer, Saab, and the engine manufacturer, General Electric (GE), regarding this rare event. GE Aviation undertook a metallurgical analysis of the propeller flange and hardware and inspected additional propeller gearboxes. They also reminded operators to adhere to maintenance and inspection procedures. This incident was particularly unusual, with the only other recorded similar event occurring in 1991 when a US carrier Comair's aircraft also landed safely after a separation of its propeller. |
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#6
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05-23-2017, 01:01 AM
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Re: Regional Express Flight ZL768 Loses Propeller
A lot of commercial pilots are ex-military, due to the high flight hours required for commercial work. He might have had military training. But still. |
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#10
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02-05-2019, 01:46 AM
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Re: Regional Express Flight ZL768 Loses Propeller
My grandfather had something similar to this happen. He engineered a design change for aluminum propellers to be used on airboats (as opposed to wooden). The race team that used his design on their boat did not properly torque them in the correct sequence, leading to a malfunction and one of the blades dislodging. The lost part wound up crashing into a lake home 3/4 of a mile away, into a family's kitchen where they were eating breakfast. Impressive.
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