TAIC finds missed fatigue cracks caused 2024 Air New Zealand engine fire
A September 1, 2024 Air New Zealand ATR72 engine fire during approach to Wellington was traced to a fatigue-cracked turbine blade missed during overhaul. The aircraft landed safely; nobody was seriously hurt, but evacuation took almost twice the international benchmark.
By DoomRadar · Published on DoomRadar . Updated .
Based on two sources with available article excerpts. Source-linked claims are not independent confirmation.
Event date: The incident happened on 1 September 2024; TAIC released its final findings on 24 September 2026. [1][2]
What happened
The ATR72-600 was flying from Christchurch to Wellington with 70 passengers and four crew when its left engine caught fire on final approach. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Air New Zealand engine fire report finds missed cracksnewswire.co.nz · Article published: Sep 25, 2026, 1:47 AM UTC
Investigators attributed the fire to a low-pressure turbine blade that failed because of fatigue cracking, causing internal seal failure and allowing oil into the engine. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Air New Zealand engine fire report finds missed cracksnewswire.co.nz · Article published: Sep 25, 2026, 1:47 AM UTC
The pilots declared a mayday, landed safely and stopped on the runway before emergency services attended. [1][2]
References for this detail (2)
- Air New Zealand engine fire report finds missed cracksnewswire.co.nz · Article published: Sep 25, 2026, 1:47 AM UTC
- Incident: ANZ AT72 at Wellington on Sep 1st 2024, engine fire on short finalavherald.com · Recorded source date: Sep 24, 2026, 9:46 PM UTC
TAIC found the evacuation took almost twice as long as the international benchmark. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Air New Zealand engine fire report finds missed cracksnewswire.co.nz · Article published: Sep 25, 2026, 1:47 AM UTC
Context from the sources
The final report said the engine’s blade failure was not a similar failure previously identified in the PW100 engine fleet, according to the reported findings. [2]
Explore the sources and reporting timeline
2 source links · 2 domains
These counts describe the references, not independent confirmations. Different outlets can repeat the same original report.
Source timeline
Oldest to newest among the available source dates, not a chronology of the incident. Article publication dates come from the source; other recorded dates may reflect when a link was found.
- [2] Incident: ANZ AT72 at Wellington on Sep 1st 2024, engine fire on short finalavherald.comReferenced for: detail 3
- [1] Air New Zealand engine fire report finds missed cracksnewswire.co.nzReferenced for: detail 1, detail 2, detail 3, detail 4
Questions answered by the reporting
What did the fire damage?
The reported damage was confined to the aircraft’s left engine. [1]
What this could mean for you
A comparable aircraft emergency could delay passengers while an aircraft lands, receives emergency assistance and is inspected.
An engine fire or similar in-flight fault can require an emergency landing and keep the aircraft out of service.
Reported basis: [1][2] · The possible effect is interpretation.
Depends on: A similar mechanical failure occurs or the affected aircraft requires additional inspection.
Possible consequences, not a forecast. Their relevance depends on your location and the conditions above.
For your country
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What changes the outlook
Risk increases if…
Another missed fatigue crack or comparable engine fault is identified in service.
Passengers evacuate slowly during a future aircraft emergency.
Pressure eases if…
Maintenance procedures detect comparable blade cracking before an engine returns to service.
Airlines improve evacuation readiness and passenger compliance with crew instructions.
Still unclear
The supplied excerpts do not specify the corrective measures adopted for engine overhauls or passenger evacuation procedures.
Market implications
Market impact
Sources (2)
References for the reported details. Separate links do not necessarily mean independent confirmation.
Available excerpt
Fatigue cracks missed during an engine overhaul caused an Air New Zealand ATR72 turboprop to catch fire on approach to Wellington Airport, and the evacuation…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
Available excerpt
The airline reported smoke was seen from an engine, the aircraft was met by emergeny services, all passengers disembarked safely. A passenger photo shows the…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
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