STUART, FL, USA
N51DC
BELL 206B
WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT APRX 600 FT AGL, A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENGINE'S 3RD STAGE TURBINE OCCURRED. THE PLT RELATED THAT HE OBSERVED AN ENGINE CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY FIRE IN THE ENGINE. HE MADE A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATIVE LANDING. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY USE OF HAND FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT. FIRE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE ENGINE AREA. THE ENGINE WAS SHIPPED TO THE MANUFACTURER'S FACILITY FOR EXAMINATION. ACCORDING TO THEIR REPORT, THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN OIL TYPE CORROSION FROM THE I.D. SURFACE OF THE INNER POWER TURBINE SHAFT; CORROSION WEAKENED THE SHAFT BY REDUCING THE WALL THICKNESS WHICH RESULTED IN IT FRACTURING & ALLOWING THE 3RD STAGE TURBINE WHEEL TO SEPARATE FROM THE 4TH STAGE TURBINE SHEEL & OVERSPEED; THE 3RD STAGE WHEEL THEN EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED BURST FAILURE AS A RESULT OF THE OVERSPEED.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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