
In comments submitted to the public docket for a proposed airworthiness directive (AD) on GE CF34 engines, Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter urged the FAA to strengthen the AD language to call for more comprehensive inspection of the engine’s variable geometry system.
In the NTSB final report on the fatal accident of a Hop-A-Jet Bombardier Challenger 604 on Feb. 9, 2024, in Naples, Florida, the probable cause was “corrosion of both engines’ variable geometry (VG) system components, which led to their operation in an off-schedule position and resulted in near-simultaneous sub-idle rotating compressor stalls on approach, subsequent loss of thrust in both engines, and an off-airport landing. Contributing to the accident was inadequate fault isolation guidance from the engine manufacturer, which prevented the identification of corrosion buildup in VG system components during troubleshooting of hung start events of both engines about [one] month before the accident.”