Monday, May 19, 2008

Engine fire on Atlantic Southeast Airlines regional jet

ASA CRJ-200 incident at BTRAn apparent fire in the number two engine of a CRJ-200 regional jet operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) prompted a rejected takeoff from Baton Rouge Metro Airport on the afternoon of May 18, 2008. All 50 passengers and four crew members on board evacuated the aircraft without injury.

The aircraft, operating as Delta Connection Flight ASQ4320, was preparing to depart from Baton Rouge for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta when the incident occurred. The Bombardier CL-600-2B19 model aircraft (registration number N914EV) is owned by ASA, according to FAA records.

The FAA preliminary incident report attributed the rejected takeoff to an "engine problem," however several news reports quoted a Baton Rouge airport spokesman who said that the engine had caught fire. News photos and television footage showed fire-fighting equipment spraying the aircraft.

[Photo Source]