Longtail Aviation Flight 5504

At 16:11 local time, a Boeing 747-400BCF registered as VQ-BWT, operating as Longtail Aviation Flight 5504, experienced a nominally contained engine failure shortly after departing Maastricht Aachen Airport in the Netherlands in a southerly direction. An elderly woman suffered a head injury that was treated at a hospital, and a child suffered burns after touching a piece of debris on the ground. The converted freighter aircraft, originally delivered in 1991, was powered by four Pratt & Whitney PW4056-3 engines, a version of the earlier PW4000-94 engine. "A few seconds after the plane took off, air traffic control noted an engine fire and informed the pilots. They then switched off the engine concerned and sent out an emergency signal," according to Maastricht Aachen Airport. A local fire department representative reported that multiple witnesses on the ground saw the aircraft flying with an active engine fire. Video of a 747 in flight with smoke trailing from one engine was also posted to Twitter. Falling debris damaged parked cars, and press accounts of the incident included a widely circulated photo of the destruction showing what appears to be a part of an engine blade wedged in the roof of a car like a knife stuck in a block of butter. Maastricht Airport spokesperson Hella Hendriks told Reuters: "Several cars were damaged and bits hit several houses. Pieces were found across the residential neighbourhood on roofs, gardens and streets." Meerssen police publicly requested that possible fragments be left in place to aid the investigation, but later asked residents to turn in the parts. Local residents reportedly collected over 200 pieces of the engine after what some described as a "rain of debris." The blade-like parts were approximately wide and up to long. ==Investigation==

The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) immediately started an exploratory investigation where researchers initially collected evidence to determine whether an extensive investigation is necessary. The criminal negligence investigation was closed a month later finding no negligence or guilt. Martin Amick, the CEO of Longtail Aviation, said, "we are now in the process of working closely with the Dutch, Belgian, Bermuda and UK authorities to understand the cause of this incident." CNN reported that Boeing technical advisers are supporting the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board with its investigation. The aircraft and cargo were released two days after the incident, but the OVV retained the damaged engine and the "black box" recorders. Longtail Aviation dispatched a replacement engine on another of their 747 freighters to facilitate the repairs necessary for return to service. The aircraft was returned to service and has been seen servicing Maastricht Airport. The OVV's "Shortened Investigation" report concluded on April 19, 2023, with reports released in both Dutch and English, that the engine failure was caused by elevated gas temperatures that existed for an extended period of time in the turbine of the engine causing wear and deformation of outer transition duct panels. A service bulletin aiming to resolve this issue was not incorporated by the operator. == See also ==