Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) SAAB 340B incident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 29, 2008
On July 29, 2008 at about 6:21 pm local time, a Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) SAAB 340B, registered N364PX, was involved in an incident during takeoff near Anchorage, Alaska (Anchorage International airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of one of the stage 1 gas generator rotor blades due to high-cycle fatigue, resulting in a contained engine failure during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2008 · about 6:21 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Anchorage International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) SAAB 340B
- Registration
- N364PX · registry record · serial 340B-262
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, the flight crew of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 scheduled passenger flight heard a "pop" coming from the left engine. The takeoff was aborted and the airplane returned to the gate. Maintenance personnel noted that the left engine had a contained engine failure. During the manufacturer's inspection of the engine, they noted that one of the stage 1 gas generator rotor blades had separated below the airfoil platform as a result of high-cycle fatigue. The manufacturer reported that the failure is related to a blade damper binding issue that has been tracked since 2001; Service Bulletin (SB) 72-0475 was issued to address the gas generator rotor blade damper. The manufacturer also recommended that all operators who have not complied with the SB lower the borescope inspection for the hot section from 800 to 400 flight hours. The manufacturer says that to date 95 percent of the affected fleet comply with the SB. The incident engine had been borescoped within the last 400 hours.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,200 hours in all; 5,100 in this make and model; 222 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 24, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,822 hours in all; 1,822 in this make and model; 273 in the last 90 days; 103 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 7, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 397 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 29,000 lb
- Seats: 33
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CT7-9B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CT7-9B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Peninsula Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 1:21 pm
- Destination: ANI Aniak AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 07R, 10,900 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from ANC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.