Aircraft and Flight
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A320-271 NEO, registration VT-IVX, operated by Inter Globe Aviation Ltd (IndiGo). It was operating scheduled flight 6E-563 from Kolkata to Chennai. The crew consisted of a Pilot-in-Command holding an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) with 3,700 hours total flying experience, and a First Officer holding a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) with 1,102 hours total experience. There were 121 passengers and 4 cabin crew on board.
Incident Sequence
The aircraft departed Kolkata at approximately 0248 UTC on 24 October 2019. At 0311 UTC, while climbing through 26,000 feet, the crew heard a loud bang from the starboard-side engine. The Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) triggered an "ENG 2 STALL" warning, followed by "ENG 2 HGH VIB". N1 and N2 vibration indications reached 10 units, and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) rose above 900°C. The flight crew followed the Quick Reference Handbook procedures, stopped the climb, and executed a commanded in-flight shutdown (IFSD) of Engine #2. They informed Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) and requested priority landing. The aircraft diverted back to Kolkata and landed safely on a single engine at 0335 UTC. There were no injuries to any occupants and no fire.
Aftermath and Inspection
After landing, an external inspection of the involved engine was performed. Post-flight and tear-down examinations revealed damage to the low-pressure turbine (LPT) assembly: LPT stages 1 and 2 blades were nicked; all blades of LPT stage 3 were damaged; the LPT shaft, case, stage 2 support-seal assembly, stage 3 shroud-segment ring, and turbine exhaust case were also damaged.
Investigation
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India classified the occurrence as a serious incident and initiated an investigation in accordance with Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention. The investigation focused on the engine failure circumstances and the LPT third-stage blade failure. No probable cause was publicly stated in the final report excerpt.