NTSB SEEKS COMPONENTS LOST OVER TEXAS IN UNCONTAINED ENGINE FAILURE

[NTSB Press Releases <NTSBPressReleases@xxxxxxxx>]

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                       NTSB ADVISORY
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

December 19, 2007

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NTSB SEEKS COMPONENTS LOST OVER TEXAS IN UNCONTAINED ENGINE 
FAILURE

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In its investigation of an uncontained engine failure that 
occurred on a Southwest Airlines flight from Dallas, Texas 
(Love Field), to Little Rock, Arkansas, on November 17, the 
National Transportation Safety Board is searching for engine 
components that fell to the ground in a sparsely populated 
rural area of Texas.

The incident, in which pieces of the fan blades and the 
spinner separated from the #2 (right) engine, occurred at 
2:54 pm over Hunt County, Texas, at an altitude of 25,000 
feet during the climb phase of flight.  None of the 133 
passengers or 5 crewmembers on board the B-737-300 (N676SW) 
aircraft were injured.  The crew shut down the damaged 
engine and returned safely to Dallas on power from the #1 
(left) engine.  In addition to the damage to the engine and 
its housing components, the aircraft sustained minor damage 
to the fuselage.

NTSB engineers developed a Ballistic Trajectory Analysis 
using data such as the aircraft ground track, speed, 
prevailing winds and other factors, to create an area where 
the engine pieces are most likely to be found.  The area is 
approximately 0.4 miles wide and 1.7 miles long and is 
located on private property.  

The owners of the property whose land is in the identified 
area will be contacted by the Hunt County sheriff's office 
and will be asked to notify the sheriff if an aircraft 
engine part is discovered.  Because these engine parts 
and the exact location of discovery are essential to the 
investigation, parts should not be handled by the public, 
but instead should be marked in place.  If found, please 
contact the Hunt County sheriff's office at (903) 453-6800. 
  
The NTSB asks anyone volunteering to search for these items 
to respect private property rights and get permission of the 
landowner before searching on another's property.

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NTSB Public Affairs: Peter Knudson
202-314-6100
peter.knudson@xxxxxxxx

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