Bombardier INC CL 600 2B19 incident near Baltimore, Maryland, January 23, 2017
On January 23, 2017 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2004 Bombardier INC CL 600 2B19, registered N8986B, was involved in an incident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Baltimore, Maryland (Baltimore/Washington Intl Thur airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 51 people were on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A Bombardier CRJ200 No. 2 engine failure due to the separation of a fan blade airfoil at a low cycle fatigue crack that originated at the forward fan blade pin hole attachment. The separated fan blade had previously undergone a hot form repair and both metallurgical analysis and repair records indicated that the lance/shot peen step required to restore sufficient residual stress levels to the blade material was not completed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 23, 2017 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Baltimore/Washington Intl Thur · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 51 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Bombardier INC CL 600 2B19 100, built 2004
- Registration
- N8986B · registry record · serial 7986
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The No. 2 engine fan blade airfoil separation was caused by a low cycle fatigue crack that originated at the forward blade pin hole attachment tang due to insufficient residual stress (hoop stress) levels in the Ti-8-1-1 blade material. The fan blade had undergone a hot form repair following a bird strike incident in December 2007 to restore the blade profile. During the hot form repair process the blade was placed in a ceramic die and heated to 1150-1200oF to restore the blade geometry. The hot form process relieved the compressive residual stress layer in the fan blade and the layer was not properly restored with a lance peen/shot peen step as called out in the GE Standard Repair Manual. There was visual evidence of 100% lance peen/shot peen coverage on the fan blade attachment pin holes surfaces that was identified during the materials lab examination, but the peen marks were most likely formed during the original fan blade manufacturing process. When the fan blade airfoil separated during the incident it was contained by the engine fan case containment system. The fan blade impact with the fan case containment system resulted in a bulge in the Kevlar wrap that damaged the attaching hardware at the fan cowl flanges, and the cowl subsequently separated when exposed to the jet stream. When the fan cowls separated from the engine they impacted the thrust reverser translating cowl and core cowl and resulted in gouging and surface buckling. The fan blade airfoil separation caused a fan imbalance that led to high No. 2 engine vibration levels. The high vibration levels caused the engine transition case to LPT flange separation, AGB housing fracture, and starter damage.
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 enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Engine shutdown during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Failure
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 43,100 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Ge CF34-3B1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Ge CF34-3B1 (turbofan); 26,183 hours total
- Operator: Endeavor Air
The flight
- Departed from: BWI Baltimore MD
- Destination: CVG Covington KY
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:30 pm from KBWI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 48 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 1, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Powerplant Factual Report | PDF, 26 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 40 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Ge Metallurgical Investigation Report | PDF, 40 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.