Corrosion in plane's engine components led to deadly 2024 crash on I-75 in Collier County

NAPLES, Fla. —

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report on a deadly 2024 plane crash in Collier County that killed pilots Edward Murphy and Ian Frederick Hofmann.

On Feb. 9, 2024, a Bombardier CL-600-2B16 business jet crashed into a retaining wall near Interstate 75.

According to the NTSB report, corrosion inside the engine components restricted the movements of airflow-control parts, caused the engines to operate in the wrong configuration, and led to stalling when power was reduced for landing. Chemical tests showed salt-related elements.

Corrosion accumulated due to the plane being primarily based at airports near the ocean. NTSB said the previous owner had it based in Barbados, and the following operator was based in Fort Lauderdale at the time.

Engine oil warnings popped up when the plane was less than 1,000 feet in the air, and approximately 23 seconds later, the crew announced to an air traffic control tower that the plane had lost both engines.

Officials said the engines entered "sub-idle rotating compressor stalls," meaning airflow broke down inside the engines, leading to a loss of thrust.

The plane was unable to reach the Naples Airport runway, and the crew attempted to make an emergency landing on the highway.

Documents state the plane's right wing hit a highway sign before veering right and traveling off the highway. The plane hit a nearby concrete sound barrier wall before bursting into flames.

According to the NTSB, the cabin attendant and two passengers were able to exit through the baggage compartment at the back of the plane. However, pilots Murphy and Hofman died.

NTSB said four people reported having minor injuries in the crash, one of whom was a ground occupant.

There were early indicators of the corrosion problem; however, the issue was not fully diagnosed, NTSB said.

Twenty-five days before the crash, the engines struggled to start (had hung engine starts), which the engine manufacturer said can be a sign of corrosion buildup.

Mechanics followed a step-by-step troubleshooting chart, and a key test known as Maintenance Practice 68, a pressure check of the variable geometry system, could have detected the corrosion.

However, that test was near the end of the checklist. Mechanics stopped troubleshooting early since the engines started normally again. According to NTSB, the procedure allows this.

The plane returned to service and flew 33 uneventful flights over the next 25 days and accrued 57 hours of flight before the crash.

As a result of the crash investigation, the engine manufacturer published an updated version to place VG system testing higher in its checklist so future cases are more likely to catch this problem early. New inspections for corrosion and periodic checks for engines in salt environments were also introduced.

Investigators ruled out fuel contamination (the fuel was normal for Jet A), mechanical engine breakage, and flameout or fuel cutoff.

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