In a rare occurrence, an IndiGo aircraft winging its way from Jaipur to Chandigarh Friday morning saw each of its two engines flame out momentarily one by one. First one engine of the ATR aircraft had a flameout for a few seconds and then its auto ignition brought it back to life almost immediately. Then the second engine had the exact same occurrence. The aircraft landed safely in Chandigarh and is grounded there for engines inspection.
The Directorate Genera of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought a report from the airline, said a senior regulatory official. “This happened during very heavy rain that had lashed the region on Friday morning. The first engine recovered and restarted after a momentary flame out. Then some time later, the same thing happened with the second engine. Luckily both the engines did not flameout simultaneously.”
Airline sources say: “The aircraft landed safely in Chandigarh. It is now grounded for inspection. What had seemingly happened was that the engine performance due to weather-related issues dropped in terms of parameters like RPM. The engine showed a reduction in propeller speed (the combustion that drives the engine ‘flames out’). The engine control systems detected and corrected the issue. Passengers did not feel anything unusual. The matter has been reported to the engine manufacturer and the DGCA.”