Fractured Rotor Blade Caused WestJet Engine Fire and 2023 Emergency Landing in Kelowna, TSB Finds
Olivia Singh
9/23/20262 min read
A fractured rotor blade inside one of a WestJet aircraft’s engines caused the failure and fire that forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Kelowna in 2023, according to a new Transportation Safety Board report.
The incident happened on March 3, 2023, aboard a WestJet De Havilland Dash 8-400 travelling from Kamloops to Calgary.
The aircraft was carrying 74 passengers and four crew members.
Shortly after reaching cruising speed, the crew received an engine fire warning in the cockpit.
Crew Shut Down Engine and Diverted to Kelowna
According to the Transportation Safety Board, one of the aircraft’s engines experienced a surge followed by a fire in the exhaust duct.
The crew declared an emergency, shut down the affected engine and diverted the aircraft to Kelowna International Airport.
The plane landed safely while operating on its remaining engine.
No injuries were reported.
Investigation Traced Failure to Compressor Rotor Blade
The TSB investigation found that a compressor rotor blade inside the engine had fractured.
That failure caused the engine to surge and lose power.
The aircraft’s engine control system then responded by increasing fuel flow in an attempt to compensate for the power loss.
Investigators determined that the additional fuel contributed to a fire in the engine’s exhaust duct, triggering the cockpit warning and forcing the crew to shut the engine down.
Similar Damage Found in Two Other Engines
Following the incident, WestJet carried out additional inspections of its fleet.
Those checks identified two other engines with fractured compressor rotor blades, according to the TSB.
The discovery prompted further scrutiny of the component and its potential failure risks.
New Inspection Measures Introduced
In response to the investigation, Pratt & Whitney Canada, De Havilland Aircraft and WestJet Encore Ltd. introduced additional inspection measures intended to reduce the likelihood of similar failures.
The TSB said the changes are aimed at identifying damage to compressor rotor blades before they develop into more serious engine problems.
The March 2023 flight ultimately landed without injury, but the investigation highlighted how a single internal component failure can quickly lead to a loss of engine power and an in-flight emergency.
The safety board’s report concludes with the preventive measures now in place following the incident.
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