American Airlines plane that caught fire had part placed backward

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An American Airlines Group Inc. plane engine that caught fire in March had a fractured fan blade and another component installed backward, federal safety investigators said Thursday.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which has been investigating the March 13 incident, said in the preliminary report that the fan blade was damaged and another component attached to a part used to control airflow inside the engine was loose — and installed in the wrong direction. Both were on the right engine of the two-engine craft, the agency said.

The engines were built by CFM International Inc., a joint venture between General Electric Co. and Safran SA of France. American said it was cooperating with the NTSB investigation. GE declined to comment and Safran didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

The NTSB report did not specify when the part, the lockwire of a fuel fitting on the variable stator vane, was installed or how recently it had been inspected prior to the March incident. No serious injuries were incurred, but 12 passengers sustained “minor” injuries, it said.

American Airlines Flight 1006, which was scheduled to fly from Colorado Springs to Dallas, was diverted to Denver International Airport after the flight crew reported engine vibrations. The fire occurred after the plane had landed and both engines were shut down, according to the NTSB.

The agency said video footage showed a trail of fluid leaking from under the right engine as the airplane taxied to its gate. “Soon after arriving at the gate, flight attendants heard passengers yelling ‘fire’ and ‘smoke’ and saw smoke start to the fill the cabin,” according to the report.

Passengers were evacuated using one of the aircraft’s slides and exits over the wings. A second slide got jammed in the door and wasn’t able to be used, the NTSB said.

Videos shared on social media after the incident showed people standing on the wings of the plane as emergency crews approached with ladders. There were six crew members and 172 passengers aboard the flight, the agency said.

— With assistance from Mary Schlangenstein.