Introduction
On 9 September 2017, an Airbus A320-231 aircraft, registration LZ-LAD, operated by Bulgarian Air Charter, experienced a serious incident during a ferry flight from Bratislava (LZIB) to Sofia (LBSF). The flight, designated BUC320D, was a repositioning flight after the aircraft had been painted. The crew consisted of two instructor-pilots with considerable experience on the A320.
Sequence of Events
The flight departed Bratislava at 10:16 UTC. After climbing and leveling off at Flight Level 330, at 10:30 UTC, the crew received an ECAM warning: "ENG2 FUEL FLOW LOW." In response, the No2 engine was set to idle. The crew assessed the situation and decided to continue to Sofia at a reduced altitude of Flight Level 250. During the approach to Sofia, the crew received a subsequent ECAM warning: "ENG2 FADEC ALTERNATOR." This was accompanied by a loss of indication of the high-pressure rotor speed (N2) of the No2 engine. The crew shut down the No2 engine at 1100 feet AGL while the aircraft was in a stabilized approach. The landing was normal and without any immediate consequences for the crew or the aircraft.
Investigation and Causes
The investigation was conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Unit of Bulgaria. The prime cause of the serious incident was determined to be a failure of the FADEC control system of the No2 engine. The root cause was a fault in the electrical system of the Fuel Metering Unit (FMU), attributed to a short circuit or loss/interruption of the electrical signal to the Fuel Metering Valve (FMV).
Conclusion
The incident resulted in no injuries or damage. The investigation did not find any other contributing factors.