DELHI- The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a preliminary report for the Air India Express (IX) A320 Engine Fire incident on May 18, 2024.
According to an AAIB report by R P Singh, the Air India Express flight IX1132 crew did not receive an indication of an engine fire.
Air India Express A320 Engine Fire Report
AI Express crew saw some issues with the N1 speed and hydraulic reading of the No 2 engine, however, they were not aware of the engine fire. The cabin crew reported the incident to pilots over an intercom.
Following this, the flight crew declared a ‘MAY DAY’ and landed safely back at Bengaluru Airport (BLR).
I think you all need a back story, alright, let’s understand what happened on the May 18 evening.
Brief Overview
Air India Express Flight 1132 operated by Airbus A320 powered by CFM56 engines bound for Cochin Airport (COK) took off from Bengaluru. There were 179 passengers and six crew members.
During the initial climb, the crew heard a banging noise from the starboard side of the aircarft, following this, an engine stall warning also came on momentarily and went off. Shockingly, the flight crew did not receive any warning in the cockpit.
The crew immediately used both extinguishers to extinguish the fire after landing but the fire
persisted. The ground fire-fighting vehicle extinguished the fire after the aircraft exited the runway using the foam.
The crew deployed all four emergency slides to evacuate passengers as quickly as practicable. Out of 179, 10 passengers suffered minor injuries during the evacuation from the slides.
AAIB Investigation Findings
During the initial inspection, the engine oil quantity in the cockpit indicated 17.5 Quarts on the No.1 engine and 7.5 Quarts on the No.2 engine.
AAIB reported that there was no Visual damage to the aircraft and engine. However, during the Boroscopic examination of the No.2 engine. the presence of magnetic chips on the magnetic chip detector and metallic strands on the No.3 scavenge screen plugs filter were found. The high-pressure turbine (HPT) aft blade strainer outer seal was found dislodged from the position.
AAIB has downloaded the recordable devices (DFDR, CVR, PCMCIA, AFTR Recordings, CCTV recordings) data and will examine them.
They have also completed the initial interviews of key witnesses which include PIC, FO, Cabin Supervisor, Cabin crew, ARFF team, AIXL Bengaluru Maintenance team, and BIAL Safety team.
The aircraft involved in the incident is Airbus A320-200, registered as VT-ATF, and was transferred from AIX Connect formerly AirAsia India to Air India Express in March 2024.
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