A Rex Airlines flight bound for Broken Hill from Adelaide experienced an engine fire shortly after an aborted takeoff on Wednesday morning. The Saab 340 twin-turboprop was scheduled to depart around 7 a.m. when a fault indicator identified an issue with the left engine. Although the engine was promptly shut down, residual unburnt fuel ignited, causing flames and smoke to billow from the engine.
Passengers on board captured footage of the incident, showing the engine engulfed in flames and smoke. Following the aborted takeoff, passengers were required to disembark on the taxiway. They were then transported back to the terminal by bus, while the aircraft was returned to its bay.
A representative from Adelaide Airport confirmed that the runway was temporarily closed for approximately 20 minutes following the incident. Normal operations resumed at 8 a.m., and Rex Airlines is currently assisting affected passengers with rebooking their flights. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
One passenger, Mark Goodger, described the incident as “a bit scary” to his wife, Julia. She relayed to 7News that passengers were evacuated on the tarmac and have since received refunds.
Rex Airlines, in a statement, affirmed that the crew adhered to standard operating procedures by aborting the takeoff and safely clearing the runway. The crew shut down the left engine, which led to a brief ignition of unburnt fuel in the engine’s exhaust pipe. The airline assured that all passengers have been accommodated on alternate services.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has announced it will investigate the engine failure. As part of the investigation, the ATSB will review recorded flight data, interview the flight crew and other involved parties, and examine aircraft maintenance records and other relevant documentation.
Flight tracking data from Flight Aware indicated that Flight ZL4818 eventually departed more than three hours late at 10:20 a.m. and arrived in Broken Hill at 11:16 a.m. The aircraft is scheduled to resume operations on Friday.