What happened
On July 26, 2016, an Airbus A321-211, registration SP-HAZ, operated by Small Planet Airlines, was performing flight LLP8817 from Warsaw (EPWA) to Ibiza (LEIB). Shortly after departing from runway 29 and reaching an altitude of 400 feet, the crew received an ECAM alert indicating that the engine 2 thrust reverser was unlocked.
In response to the alert, the crew declared a PAN PAN but did not declare an emergency landing. The crew terminated the climb at 4,000 feet and initiated a return to Warsaw Chopin Airport. Upon arrival at EPWA, a state of uncertainty was declared at 13:18 UTC. To ensure the aircraft's weight was within permissible landing limits, the crew performed a 40-minute holding pattern to burn off excess fuel. The state of uncertainty was cancelled at 14:04 UTC, and the aircraft landed safely at 14:05 UTC.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the technical failure of the thrust reverser mechanism. Following the landing, maintenance personnel from a Part 145 organization inspected the aircraft. The defect was deferred in accordance with the operator's Minimum Equipment List (MEL), allowing the aircraft to continue its subsequent operations.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a failure of the engine 2 thrust reverser lock for reasons that remained undetermined.
- No contributing circumstances or systemic issues were identified during the investigation.