What happened
On June 6, 2022, an Air Arabia Airbus A320, registration A6-AOT, was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Chittagong to Abu Dhabi. While the aircraft was cruising at flight level 360, the flight crew heard a loud boom in the cockpit. Shortly after, the crew observed intermittent high N1 vibrations, which peaked at 9.9 CU before dropping. This was followed by an ECAM warning indicating an "OIL FILTER CLOG."
Following the engine malfunction, the crew declared a MAYDAY and initiated a descent. The aircraft was diverted from its original flight path to Ahmedabad, India. The crew notified Ahmedabad ATC of the engine failure and requested vectors for an approach. Upon arrival, the crew performed the necessary emergency checklists and landed the aircraft safely at Ahmedabad International Airport. No injuries were reported among the 140 passengers or the six crew members on board.
The investigation
AAIB India conducted an investigation into the serious incident, involving participation from representatives of France (the state of design and manufacture) and the UAE (the state of registration). The investigation examined the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVLT) to reconstruct the sequence of events. Investigators analyzed the engine's service history, specifically looking at maintenance events and the occurrence of high vibrations. The investigation also reviewed the crew's execution of the ECAM actions and the decision-making process regarding the diversion to Ahmedabad.