Bombardier DHC-8-402 incident near Danville, California, March 5, 2013
On March 5, 2013 at about 7:20 pm local time, a 2004 Bombardier DHC-8-402, registered N417QX, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Danville, California (Norman y. Mineta San Jose Int airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 51 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure and separation of a section of the No. 2 engine's combustion chamber's small exit duct (SED), which created an airflow disruption that led to an engine surge and subsequent fire. Contributing to the accident was the insufficient weld penetration that remained totally contained within the SED outer dome and did not penetrate through to the inner duct as required by the manufacturing specifications.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2013 · about 7:20 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Danville, California · Norman y. Mineta San Jose Int · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 51 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bombardier DHC-8-402, built 2004 · all DHC-8-402s on the register
- Registration
- N417QX · no longer on the register · serial 4086
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was climbing through flight level 200 when the flight crew received a No. 2 engine audible fire warning, which was accompanied by a bang sound. The crew subsequently shut the No. 2 engine down and discharged both of the engine's fire extinguishing bottles. The cabin crew reported no visible fire, but the flight crew continued to receive a fire indication. The captain then declared an emergency, began a descent to the departure airport, and landed about 9 minutes after the event. After the airplane was stopped on the runway and the No. 1 (left) engine was shut down, an emergency evacuation was conducted using the main cabin door. An initial assessment by company personnel indicated that the fire damage to the airplane was limited to what was visible on the aircraft's exterior. A visual postincident examination of the engine revealed that sooting was present on external case surfaces, which were concentrated on the aft half of the No. 2 engine. A disassembly of the engine confirmed that about half of the SED outer dome within the combustion section had separated and was subsequently ingested into the gas path. To determine the reason for the separation, three locations on the outer dome were sectioned and examined. All three locations exhibited insufficient weld penetration so that the welds remained totally contained within the SED outer dome and did not penetrate through to the inner duct as required by the manufacturing specifications.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Combustion section › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the engine
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › Equipment manufacture › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 179 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 25,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 4, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: powered-lift; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,300 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 5, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22,123 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 2, 2013; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 40,112 lb
- Seats: 81
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt and Whitney PW 150 (turboprop); 23,838 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt and Whitney PW 150 (turboprop); 18,764 hours total
- Operator: Horizon Air
The flight
- Departed from: SJC San Jose CA at 7:08 pm
- Destination: BOI Boise ID
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12L, 11,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from CCR, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 2 | |||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 47 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on September 5, 2014. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Powerplants 8 - Factual Report of Group Chairman | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Powerplants 8 - Attachment 1 - Pratt & Whitney Canada Small Exit Duct Metallurgy Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Powerplants 8 - Attachment 2 - Pratt & Whitney Canada Chemical Analysis Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Flight Data Recorder 10 - Factual Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Attachment 1 - Flight Data Recorder 10 Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 7 | Bombardier Damage Survey of Subject #2 Engine Nacelle | PDF, 20 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Structures 7 - Factual Report of Group Chairman | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Structures 7 - Appendix A - Figures | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N417QX: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Bombardier DHC-8 Dash 8 and Q400 58 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Pratt and Whitney PW 150 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Pratt and Whitney PW 150 · as the NTSB recorded it
- Mineta San Jose International · nearest airport
- Boise Air Trml/Gowen Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR13IA144.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.