Engines
NTSB: Multiple Lapses Cited in 2007 American Airlines Engine Fire
An unapproved and improper procedure was used by mechanics to manually start the left engine on an American Airlines jetliner.

An unapproved and improper procedure used by mechanics to manually start the left engine on an American Airlines jetliner on Sept. 28, 2007, probably caused a fire that forced an emergency landing, the NTSB determined today.

The Board also found that the flight crew’s handling of the emergency prolonged the engine fire and further jeopardized the safety of the flight. Finally, the NTSB cited as a contributing factor American’s flawed internal safety management system (SMS), which, it said, could have identified the maintenance problems that led to the accident.