Airline reveals crew shut down right-hand engine of Saab 340 before propeller fell and is investigating all propeller gear boxes and shafts of the same series

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Regional airline Rex has grounded some of its planes as an investigation continues into how a propeller fell off an aircraft as it approached Sydney airport late last week.

Regional Express has revealed the crew had shut down the right-hand engine of the Saab 340 before the propeller assembly “was seen by the first officer to separate from its shaft” on Friday when the flight from Albury was 25km south-west of Sydney.

“Rex has decided, by abundance of caution, to immediately remove from service and quarantine all propeller gear boxes and shafts of the same series as that of the incident for further inspection and testing if warranted,” Rex said in a statement on Monday.

The airline is yet to confirm how many planes have been impacted.

The engine was shut down on Friday following “abnormal indications”. That action “feathers” the propeller in order to reduce drag.

ABC Emergency (@ABCemergency) 📰 REX flight forced into emergency landing after losing propeller https://t.co/IGaN7C8WXi pic.twitter.com/WW0FuklIdh

It was at this point that the propeller assembly separated and rotated upwards and to the right of the aircraft which was carrying 16 passengers and three crew members.

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“The propeller was seen rotating in a horizontal position and then moving away without making contact with the aircraft,” Rex said on Monday. “Both passengers and crew reported that the flight thereafter was smooth and the landing was normal in spite of bad weather at Sydney with winds exceeding 35 knots.”

Rex’s chief operating officer, Neville Howell, said a propeller falling off is an extremely rare event.

“The only other recorded similar event was in 1991 when US carrier Comair’s aircraft also landed safely after a separation of its propeller,” he said.

Rex said its propeller sheared off at the shaft and all the fittings at the main assembly were intact.

Howell on Monday praised the crew for showing “enormous composure and discipline under extraordinary circumstances”.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating Friday’s incident, and the search continues for the propeller, which is believed to have sheared off over the Camden area.

Regional Express operates a fleet of more than 50 Saab 340 aircraft on about 1,500 weekly flights to 58 destinations across Australia.

