Narrative:

I was first officer on the EMB145 and was the PF, when we departed msp for cle on jul/fri/97. The takeoff was normal as was the initial climb through acceleration ht (500 ft AGL). I called for the after takeoff checklist which was completed by my captain. The last item on this checklist calls for a decision to be made on leaving the APU up or down. We decided to turn it off so captain proceeded to shut it down. Very shortly afterwards, the #1 engine failed abruptly. We completed the checklists, secured the failed engine and returned for landing at msp without further incident. I believe we did all we could to safely bring the passenger back to the airport. After our maintenance personnel examined the engine in question, nothing was found wrong with it. Both captain and I began to question what could have been the cause. We both speculated that during the after takeoff checklist it may have been remotely possible that the wrong switch was selected for APU shutdown. I personally did not see the switch in the wrong position and don't believe that it was selected wrongly. The allison engines are controled by a computer/fadec, which could have sensed a fault and automatically shut the engine down, but no evidence of this was found. Unfortunately, since the EMB145 is a new aircraft, there is no history of this type of event. We hope the fdr will prove that the engine's computer did indeed have some fault which occurred at that point in time, however we don't rule out the possibility of human error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN ON AN EMB145 OCCURS WHEN PIC ELECTS TO SHUT DOWN THE APU WHILE FOLLOWING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. RETURN AND LAND.

Narrative: I WAS FO ON THE EMB145 AND WAS THE PF, WHEN WE DEPARTED MSP FOR CLE ON JUL/FRI/97. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL AS WAS THE INITIAL CLB THROUGH ACCELERATION HT (500 FT AGL). I CALLED FOR THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST WHICH WAS COMPLETED BY MY CAPT. THE LAST ITEM ON THIS CHKLIST CALLS FOR A DECISION TO BE MADE ON LEAVING THE APU UP OR DOWN. WE DECIDED TO TURN IT OFF SO CAPT PROCEEDED TO SHUT IT DOWN. VERY SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE #1 ENG FAILED ABRUPTLY. WE COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS, SECURED THE FAILED ENG AND RETURNED FOR LNDG AT MSP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE WE DID ALL WE COULD TO SAFELY BRING THE PAX BACK TO THE ARPT. AFTER OUR MAINT PERSONNEL EXAMINED THE ENG IN QUESTION, NOTHING WAS FOUND WRONG WITH IT. BOTH CAPT AND I BEGAN TO QUESTION WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE. WE BOTH SPECULATED THAT DURING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST IT MAY HAVE BEEN REMOTELY POSSIBLE THAT THE WRONG SWITCH WAS SELECTED FOR APU SHUTDOWN. I PERSONALLY DID NOT SEE THE SWITCH IN THE WRONG POS AND DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SELECTED WRONGLY. THE ALLISON ENGS ARE CTLED BY A COMPUTER/FADEC, WHICH COULD HAVE SENSED A FAULT AND AUTOMATICALLY SHUT THE ENG DOWN, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF THIS WAS FOUND. UNFORTUNATELY, SINCE THE EMB145 IS A NEW ACFT, THERE IS NO HISTORY OF THIS TYPE OF EVENT. WE HOPE THE FDR WILL PROVE THAT THE ENG'S COMPUTER DID INDEED HAVE SOME FAULT WHICH OCCURRED AT THAT POINT IN TIME, HOWEVER WE DON'T RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HUMAN ERROR.

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.