History of the Flight
On July 2, 2024, an Airbus A330-343, registration T7-MMM, operated by PT Garuda Indonesia as unscheduled Hajj flight GIA6239, departed from Adi Soemarmo International Airport in Solo, Indonesia, at 1945 local time (1245 UTC), destined for King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The flight crew consisted of three pilots and 11 flight attendants. The pilot in command (PIC) was the pilot flying, the second in command (SIC) was the pilot monitoring, and the third pilot served as augmented captain.
At approximately 1310 UTC, while the aircraft was climbing through flight level 340 toward the planned cruise at FL380, the Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM) displayed an ENG 1 STALL warning, immediately followed by significant vibrations throughout the aircraft. Subsequently, ECAM showed ENG 1 FAIL and ENG LOOP B FAULT warnings, and all parameters for engine number one dropped. The SIC declared MAYDAY, reported the engine failure, and requested a return to Solo. The flight proceeded directly to the SLO VOR/DME.
The aircraft landed on Runway 26 at about 1407 UTC. After coming to a complete stop on the runway, the PIC shut down engine number two. The PIC opened the cockpit window and observed a visible glow inside the left engine. Meanwhile, the augmented captain checked the cabin and confirmed the presence of smoke. Shortly thereafter, smoke and flames were seen around the left engine. Airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles approached from the rear, and ARFF personnel established communication with the PIC. As the fire intensified, the PIC deployed the right door escape slide for evacuation.
At 1419 local time, ARFF began spraying water and successfully extinguished the fire several minutes later.
Injuries to Persons
During the evacuation, one flight attendant sustained a serious injury. The injured flight attendant, an Indonesian national, suffered a fracture of the distal part of the right fibula and fractures of the base of the third and fourth metatarsals of the right foot.
Damage to Aircraft
The left engine sustained a fan blade release, resulting in heavy rubbing around the fan case. The Kevlar containment layer was damaged. Additionally, low-pressure fuel tubes upstream of the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger were fractured, and the starter air duct pipe, including the Starter Air Valve, became detached.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was an Airbus A330-343, registration T7-MMM. The investigation includes examination of the fractured fan blade, engine installation history, and other systems.
Investigation
The investigation is being conducted by the Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi (KNKT) of Indonesia, with participation from the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA) of France as state of manufacturer (aircraft), the San Marino CAA as state of registry, the Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) of Germany as state of design (engine), the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom as state of manufacturer (engine), and the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) of Hong Kong as state providing information. The investigation is ongoing and will include detailed examination of the fan blade fracture surface and engine examination.
Safety Action
Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have taken safety actions, as noted in the interim statement.
No probable cause has been determined at this stage.