SYDNEY: A regional Australian airline on Monday grounded six planes from its fleet after a propeller fell off one of them as it approached Sydney airport. The near-disaster happened on Friday, with the crew shutting down the right-hand engine on the Saab 340 plane after “abnormal indications” before the propeller sheared off. The airline said that while investigations were underway, it would remove from service all planes using similar propeller gearboxes and shafts, accounting for six planes from its fleet of 55. Regional Express is Australia’s largest independent regional airline, operating some 1,500 weekly flights to 58 destinations throughout Australia. Howell said credit must go to the plane’s captain and crew for getting their passengers on the ground safely.

Source: Manila Times March 20, 2017 10:18 UTC