Russian investigators have attributed to procedural failure the loss of an engine door on a Bombardier Q400 shortly after departing Vladivostok.
The Aurora aircraft (RA-67260) had been bound for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on 9 September, says federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia’s eastern division.
It states that, some 3min after take-off, the crew was informed by air traffic control that a structure on the aircraft had separated during the departure roll.
The crew discovered that the left-hand engine cover of the starboard Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engine was missing.
After the turboprop returned to the airport, damage was discovered to its anti-icing equipment on the wing.
Rosaviatsia says an investigation found that a failure to close the engine nacelle door following maintenance caused the incident.
It says the nature of the locks enabled a “false” closure, and that the work – performed in low light – was not subsequently checked. Nor was the oversight detected during the preparation of the Q400 for departure.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
