NTSB LAX87FA128 — 1987-02-27 · FRESNO, California, United States

N356PS has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (PERGANDE MARK A CHALLENGER II, built 2017), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N356PS BRITISH AEROSPACE BA146-200A None

Probable cause & findings

FAILURE OF COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO ADEQUATELY EXAMINE THE ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM WHEN CONTAMINATION WAS DETECTED.

Factual narrative

THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL DURING TAKEOFF AND CLIMB TO AN ASSIGNED CRUISE ALTITUDE OF FL260. APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE NUMBER 3 ENGINE EXPERIENCED AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE TURBINE BLADES ON THE NUMBER 4 POWER TURBINE WHEEL. ALTHOUGH DEBRIS FROM THE ENGINE PENETRATED THE PRESSURE VESSEL, THE PILOT MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LANDING AT AN AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT FERROUS CHIPS WERE CONTAMINATING, AND OIL WAS BYPASSING THE ENGINE OIL FILTER FOR AT LEAST 40 DAYS. HOWEVER, NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. THE OIL AND FILTER WERE CHANGED THREE TIMES IN THE THREE MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THE ACCIDENT. THE EXAM REVEALED THAT THE CONTAMINATED OIL CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER FOUR TURBINE BEARING SUBSEQUENTLY LEADING TO OVERHEATING AND DAMAGE TO THE OVERSPEED SENSORS. THE TURBINE OVERSPED AND THE TURBINE BLADES DEPARTED THE TURBINE DISC. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_LAX87FA128.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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