Summary

  • Engine failures in flight are rare but can occur due to blade fatigue or fuel contamination, affecting safety.
  • Sun Country Airlines Flight 286 experienced a left engine failure but landed safely without injuries reported.
  • The Boeing 737-800 aircraft safely diverted after a sudden engine shutdown during its journey.

On June 14th, 2024, a Sun Country Airlines flight from Seattle, Washington, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, experienced an inadvertent engine failure. The twin-engine Boeing 737-800 had a left engine failure during the cruise phase of the flight shortly after departing Seattle.

The aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported by the airline.

What happened?

Sun Country Airlines Flight 286, operates a nonstop flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP). However, an engine failure en route to its destination on Friday evening prevented the flight from being completed.

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-800

Photo: natmac stock | Shutterstock

According to the Aviation Herald, the aircraft reached its filed cruising altitude of 37,000 ft and was roughly 120 NM (222 km) east of Spokane International Airport (GEG) when the left engine, a CFM International CFM56 turbofan, failed. The crew reported the engine failure, and after being unable to restart it, they shut it down and decided to divert.

According to the Flight Aware flight profile, the engine failed approximately 45 minutes into the flight. The crew then turned around and landed safely on GEG’s runway 21 30 minutes after the engine failure.

In a statement to Simple Flying, Sun Country Airlines said:

“Sun Country flight 286 from Seattle to Minneapolis St. Paul experienced an engine shutdown and diverted to Spokane Friday evening. Our pilots followed procedures, and the flight landed safely at Spokane. The safety of our passengers and crew are our priority, and we appreciate the work of our pilots and flight attendants to ensure the safety of our customers. We worked to provide accommodations for our passengers overnight and the flight departed at 10:30 am local this morning on another aircraft. The flight is due to land in MSP in a few minutes.”

The Boeing 737-800 (registered N856SY) is 10.3 years old and was delivered to the airline in March 2024. The cause of the engine failure has not been identified.

Engine failure in flight

Engines have come a long way since the early days of aviation when reliability was a major problem. Today, engine failures are rare, especially with regular inspections and maintenance, but they do occur. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, turbine engines have a failure rate of one per 375,000 flight hours.

Standardaero working on a CFM-56 engine

Photo: StandardAero

The most common causes of jet engine failures are the same as those of piston engines: fuel starvation or mechanical failure. Turbine engines are subjected to high pressures, temperatures, and stress.

The leading causes of mechanical failures are:

  • Blade fatigue: Over time, the blades of the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines can wear out, resulting in micro-fissures that cause the blades to crack and break.
  • Bearing failure: Bearings reduce the friction within an engine’s spinning components and can fail due to normal wear and tear or poor lubrication.
  • Seal deterioration: The engine seal helps maintain pressure in the different sections of the turbine engine. If a seal fails, the engine will cease producing thrust effectively.

The leading causes of fuel failures which lead to engine failures are:

  • Fuel contamination: Water or contaminants in the fuel can cause the engine to break down.
  • Fuel distribution issues: Fuel leaks and blockages could prevent the engine from receiving adequate fuel.
  • Pump failures: Fuel pump failures prevent the engine from receiving fuel and can result in fuel starvation.

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