History of the Flight
On 30 October 2019, an Indigo Airbus A320-271 NEO aircraft, registration VT-ITM, was operating scheduled flight 6E-862 from Kolkata to Pune. The aircraft departed Kolkata uneventfully. At approximately 1615 UTC, while climbing through flight level 92, the crew heard a loud bang from engine number 1 and felt a slight leftward drift. The ECAM displayed ENG 1 STALL followed by ENG 1 HIGH VIB. The crew leveled off and reduced engine 1 power to idle, after which the stall warning cleared. A burning smell was reported in the cockpit and confirmed by cabin crew. Due to abnormal engine parameters, the crew decided to return to Kolkata, declared MAYDAY, and landed safely at 1628 UTC.
Injuries to Persons
No injuries occurred to any occupant.
Damage to Aircraft
Post-flight visual inspection and tear-down examination of engine number 1 revealed the following damage:
- Low-pressure turbine (LPT) drive shaft coating wear
- LPT case damage
- LPT stage 1, 2, and 3 disk wear/damage
- LPT stage 1 and 2 blade nicks/damage
- Seven LPT stage 2 vanes with impact damage
- LPT stage 3 vane impact damage
- All LPT stage 3 blades fractured
- Turbine exhaust case impact damage
Personnel Information
The pilot-in-command held an ATPL (FATA) and had 5,852:26 total flying hours. The first officer held a CPL and had 722:23 total hours. Both were current on type and held valid medical certificates.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was an Airbus A320-271 NEO powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1127G-JM engines. It was registered in India and operated by Inter Globe Aviation Ltd (IndiGo).