Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Time Pressure; Workload; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Aircraft; Chart Or Publication; Company Policy
Upon climb out; we experienced a series of events which led to a left engine failure. The First Officer and I decided that while we were running checklists; briefing the Flight Attendant and passengers; and talking to Dispatch and ATC; that we would head toward our intended destination and be set up on final approach by the time we were finished. At the end of the QRH procedures; it says to land at the nearest suitable airport; which at the time of the event would have been a closer airport. However my thought was that by the time we would've held; completed all of our tasks and descended; we would've already been just as close to our destination anyway; which has better services for our situation. I decided that it would not adversely affect the safety of flight and elected to continue to our destination.The main cause of this event was that I did not read the words 'land at the nearest suitable airport' carefully enough and fully comprehend what it was saying. At the time; our destination was the nearest suitable airport in my mind; and once I had decided that; I had tunnel vision focus and did not consider alternatives.Moving forward; I will be aware of my tendency to set up this tunnel vision so that I'm easily able to come out of it and consider alternatives to my plan if needed. I will not say that it was an unsafe decision to continue to destination; in fact I feel as though my decision was well-founded. However; the fact still remains that it was indeed technically contrary to the language used in the QRH.
Climbing out of 17;500 ft. for 19;000 ft. we got a master warning left oil pressure. The Captain immediately monitored the instruments and transferred the controls to me. The QRH instructed him to reduce power to idle in the affected engine. As he was pulling thrust to idle in that engine we had n2 vib n1 vib and audible vibration sound that could be felt through the cabin accompanied by the smell of burning. Around this time ITT began to spike as well. We [advised ATC] at 18000 ft. about 180 miles from our destination (to the best of my knowledge). We secured the engine via the QRH and decided to continue due to the fact that we had several checklists to run; notification to the passengers and Flight Attendant; and to the company and would be at our destination in about the time that process would take. The left engine was secure so we both agreed to ask ATC direct our destination. A suitable airport was below us at the time of the incident; however; in our mind was not the best place for landing due to the criteria listed above. On the ground; Maintenance said an oil pump was disconnected to the assembly box that caused the engine to degress the way it did.
A flight crew reported they had to shut down an engine but continued to their destination instead of landing at a closer airport as stated in the QRH.