Narrative:

After clearance for visual runway 35 phl, around 1000 ft AGL, a rumbling noise started. We didn't know what it was and continued. An oil light came on and we had temperature indications to back it up. We were losing our left engine within 500 ft of the ground. We continued. As we were busy on the approach, we missed a call from tower telling us he saw much smoke trailing our aircraft, ba 3201 jetstream. We landed with a windmilling left propeller. We rolled to the end of the runway and taxied clear. Tower had called for the fire trucks who were on the way. We shot our fire bottles, shut down the other engine, and began to evacuate/evacuation. The fire crews shot halon into the left engine and said the fire was out. We deplaned all the passenger down the stairs. No one was hurt. No FARS broken. The FAA didn't want statements, nothing. It is my understanding that a bearing broke and metal was being ingested by the left engine which caused the failure. We were at a very low power setting when this happened. We have practiced many engine failures at V1 and after takeoff, but this time was different. The runway was assured, we were in a normal descent, however, we were losing an engine. The proper procedure was not crystal clear to me: 1) go missed, run engine failure checklist, clean it up and land, or 2) land and worry about checklists later. We were heavy and low and chose option #2. I assume that was the correct decision, it was just one I've never had to make before, nor other than the captain, did I have any guidance of what to do. Maybe it should be required as part of our training requisites to be covered in a simulator at least once, just to show direction for split second decision making in critical sits. Both of us did a good job, however it was a very uncomfortable situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT HAS ENG PROB ON APCH. TWR CALLS CFR.

Narrative: AFTER CLRNC FOR VISUAL RWY 35 PHL, AROUND 1000 FT AGL, A RUMBLING NOISE STARTED. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND CONTINUED. AN OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND WE HAD TEMP INDICATIONS TO BACK IT UP. WE WERE LOSING OUR L ENG WITHIN 500 FT OF THE GND. WE CONTINUED. AS WE WERE BUSY ON THE APCH, WE MISSED A CALL FROM TWR TELLING US HE SAW MUCH SMOKE TRAILING OUR ACFT, BA 3201 JETSTREAM. WE LANDED WITH A WINDMILLING L PROP. WE ROLLED TO THE END OF THE RWY AND TAXIED CLR. TWR HAD CALLED FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS WHO WERE ON THE WAY. WE SHOT OUR FIRE BOTTLES, SHUT DOWN THE OTHER ENG, AND BEGAN TO EVAC. THE FIRE CREWS SHOT HALON INTO THE L ENG AND SAID THE FIRE WAS OUT. WE DEPLANED ALL THE PAX DOWN THE STAIRS. NO ONE WAS HURT. NO FARS BROKEN. THE FAA DIDN'T WANT STATEMENTS, NOTHING. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A BEARING BROKE AND METAL WAS BEING INGESTED BY THE L ENG WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. WE WERE AT A VERY LOW PWR SETTING WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WE HAVE PRACTICED MANY ENG FAILURES AT V1 AND AFTER TKOF, BUT THIS TIME WAS DIFFERENT. THE RWY WAS ASSURED, WE WERE IN A NORMAL DSCNT, HOWEVER, WE WERE LOSING AN ENG. THE PROPER PROC WAS NOT CRYSTAL CLR TO ME: 1) GO MISSED, RUN ENG FAILURE CHKLIST, CLEAN IT UP AND LAND, OR 2) LAND AND WORRY ABOUT CHKLISTS LATER. WE WERE HVY AND LOW AND CHOSE OPTION #2. I ASSUME THAT WAS THE CORRECT DECISION, IT WAS JUST ONE I'VE NEVER HAD TO MAKE BEFORE, NOR OTHER THAN THE CAPT, DID I HAVE ANY GUIDANCE OF WHAT TO DO. MAYBE IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED AS PART OF OUR TRAINING REQUISITES TO BE COVERED IN A SIMULATOR AT LEAST ONCE, JUST TO SHOW DIRECTION FOR SPLIT SECOND DECISION MAKING IN CRITICAL SITS. BOTH OF US DID A GOOD JOB, HOWEVER IT WAS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.