Engine failure and slow evacuation caused Air New Zealand flight fire

A final Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report has found that fatigue cracking in a turbine blade caused an engine fire on an Air New Zealand flight in September 2024. The incident occurred on an ATR72-600 flying from Christchurch to Wellington when a low-pressure turbine blade failed, causing vibrations that damaged air seals and allowed oil to ignite. The failure happened after the engine had completed only four flying hours following an overhaul by Pratt & Whitney Canada.

The subsequent emergency evacuation on the Wellington runway took 2 minutes and 51 seconds, nearly doubling the 90-second safety benchmark. Investigators noted that many passengers delayed their escape by attempting to retrieve carry-on baggage despite instructions to leave it behind. Some passengers also experienced minor injuries, such as strains, when jumping nearly 1.83 metres from forward exits to the asphalt.

TAIC has recommended that Pratt & Whitney Canada improve its overhaul quality assurance to detect fatigue cracking. The commission also directed Air New Zealand to enhance its emergency training, passenger briefings, and cabin crew commands. Air New Zealand stated it has already implemented or is progressing various initiatives to address these lessons.

How it developed

• Fri 25 Sep, 9:29amThe report specified that of the 27 passengers using the forward exits, 19 took their luggage despite being told not to.

Where reports differ

• One report mentions a beagle was on board the flight, while others do not mention animals.

Compiled from reports by Stuff, The Post, NZ Herald, 1News and Otago Daily Times.