What happened
On 1 March 2019, an Airbus A320-214, registration OE-LOA, was performing a scheduled passenger flight from London Stansted Airport to Vienna. During the takeoff roll, a loud bang was heard and the aircraft drifted to the left, prompting the commander to reject the takeoff. The aircraft came to a halt on the runway after the left engine suffered a contained failure.
While the flight crew was managing the engine failure and communicating with emergency services, an evacuation was initiated by the Senior Flight Attendant. The evacuation was triggered following a misunderstood communication between the cabin crew. During the process, 10 passengers sustained minor injuries. The evacuation was complicated by passengers attempting to retrieve hand baggage and the fact that one engine remained running during the procedure.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation focused on the mechanical cause of the engine failure and the sequence of events leading to the evacuation. Investigators examined the left engine and found that several blades from the first stage of the high-pressure compressor had fractured and been released within the engine casing.
Regarding the cabin, the investigation looked into the communication breakdown between the flight attendants. It was noted that the Senior Flight Attendant did not hear the pilot's initial announcement to the crew and felt pressured by the passengers' reactions. Additionally, the investigation found that a crew member's seat had become entangled with an interphone cable, hindering communication between the front and rear of the cabin.