What happened
On November 27, 2024, an Airbus A320-214, registration HK5407, was performing a scheduled commercial flight from Pereira to Bogotá when an engine failure occurred during the takeoff roll. While the aircraft was accelerating on runway 26 at approximately 100 knots, an explosion occurred in the left engine.
The flight crew immediately executed a rejected takeoff and notified Air Traffic Control. During the deceleration, the aircraft's Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) displayed a "REVERSE UNLOCKED" alert for the left engine. Following the stop, airport fire services inspected the aircraft. While no external fire was visible, firefighters noted smoke near the left main landing gear and a possible anomaly in the gear assembly.
Due to the engine failure and the presence of smoke, the crew initiated an emergency evacuation using all six aircraft slides. The evacuation resulted in 19 injuries, primarily involving post-traumatic stress and minor injuries sustained during the egress. All 170 occupants, including 164 passengers and 6 crew members, were safely evacuated.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation focused on the mechanical state of the left engine (CFM56-5B4/3) and the flight data recorded during the incident. Investigators performed a borescope inspection of the engine's compression and turbine sections, noting that the fan could not be rotated. Physical evidence showed that the acoustic liner had been stripped away by the fan blades, and particulate matter and firefighting foam were present within the fan cowl.
Analysis of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) confirmed that 24 seconds into the takeoff roll, there was a sudden and significant drop in both N1 (engine speed) and fuel flow for engine number one, falling from 90% to 0%. This sudden loss of thrust aligns with the reported explosion. The investigation also reviewed the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and interviewed the flight crew, cabin crew, and air traffic controllers to reconstruct the sequence of events.