The fuel supply line of a plane that caught fire on a Ft. Lauderdale runway Oct. 29th, terrifying its passengers, had disconnected, says the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the incident.
The engine of the Boeing 767 caught fire as the plane taxied for departure at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. The pilot of the Dynamic International Airways flight reported that fuel was leaking from the aircraft before it caught fire.
Witnesses reported seeing smoke and hearing screams from the 101 people on board the plane. They were evacuated within six minutes via emergency slides.
The NTSB has released the following update into its investigation of the incident:
• The the main fuel supply line coupling assembly had disconnected in the wing-to-engine strut above and behind the left engine. This coupling assembly has been retained for further examination.
• Examination of the left engine revealed no evidence of an engine uncontainment or other failure.
• The lower inboard portion of the left wing, left engine cowling, and left fuselage center section sustained thermal damage. The fire did not penetrate the fuselage.
• The FDR/CVR were transported to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC, and are being downloaded and evaluated.
• The NTSB is reviewing the airplane maintenance records at Dynamic International Airways’ headquarters in North Carolina. According to the aircraft records, the accident airplane was in dry storage for approximately 29 months until September 2015 when Dynamic International Airways leased the airplane. Dynamic International Airways has operated the airplane for about 240 hours under the present lease.
• An initial review of the airplane onboard logbook revealed there was no entry of maintenance action having been performed in the area of the fuel coupling prior to the accident flight while in FLL.
• NTSB investigators have interviewed the two flight crew members and nine cabin crew members.
• Of the 90 passengers and 11 crewmembers onboard the airplane, one was seriously injured and 21 sustained minor injuries as a result of the emergency evacuation.
• Dynamic International Airways has issued a Fleet Campaign Directive to inspect the remainder of their aircraft to ensure proper installation of the fuel line coupling assemblies.