Boeing 737 incident near Launceton, Tasmania, Au, August 21, 2009
On August 21, 2009, a Boeing 737, registered VHVOC, was involved in an incident near Launceton, Tasmania. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2009
- Place
- Launceton, Tasmania, Australia
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 804 · all 737s on the register
- Registration
- VHVOC · no longer on the register · serial 30623
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reported that on August 21, 2009, a Virgin Blue Boeing 737-800 airplane registered in Australia as VH-VOC, experienced two compressor surges in the left engine, a CFMI CFM56-7, shortly after takeoff from Launceton (LST), Tasmania, Australia. The pilots reduced the left engine's thrust to idle and returned to LST without further incident. A subsequent borescope inspection of the engine revealed damage to the high pressure compressor. The engine was replaced. This incident is under the investigation of the ATSB. Any inquiries regarding this incident should be directed to the ATSB at: 62 Northbourne Avenue Canberra ACT 2601 Tel: (02) 6257 4150 Fax: (02) 6247 3117 Postal address: PO Box 967 Civic Square ACT 2608
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
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cfm CFM56 7B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.