IndiGo A320 Neo's Pratt engine fails while flying from Port Blair to Kolkata, plane returns safely to Andaman

NEW DELHI: Technical snags plaguing Pratt & Whitney (PW) engines powering the Airbus A320 Neo show no signs of ending. In the latest trouble, an IndiGo Neo flying from Port Blair to Kolkata last Saturday (Dec 23) reportedly suffered engine failure. Twin-engine planes can safely land on one engine and this plane also did so by returning to Port Blair where it is grounded since then.
An IndiGo spokesperson said: “On December 23, an IndiGo A320 (Neo) aircraft (VT-ITE) operated flight 6E 6616 from Port Blair to Kolkata… returned to Port Blair.During the flight, the pilot observed low engine number 2 oil pressure. The pilot followed his procedures and landed back to Port Blair. The aircraft is withdrawn from service for further checks at Port Blair.”
Comments from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and PW were sought about the frequent snags in A320 Neo’s PW engines. In India, IndiGo and GoAir use PW-powered A320 new engine option or Neos.
The DGCA had earlier asked IndiGo and GoAir not to fly Neos with Pratt engines to coastal areas as at that time it was felt that high humidity levels could be leading to a problem commonly faced by these engines. Later this informal directive was withdrawn once that issue was resolved. However, PW engines of the A320 Neo are constantly showing some snag after the other. Once one issue is resolved, something else crops us.
The latest engine issue comes up just when Indian aviation authorities are grappling with a December 10 incident of smoke engulfing an IndiGo Airbus A320 Neo and then the flight making an emergency landing in Kolkata. DGCA chief B S Bhullar had last Wednesday said PW had informed the regulator they are modifying some engines of the Neo by lowering temperature of the combustion chamber by 40 degrees Celsius. “It (smoke in cabin due engine issue) was possibly the first case of this kind,” Bhullar had said.
Before the smoke scare of December 10, PW-powered A320 Neos had seen some cases of engine vibrations. IndiGo and GoAir have almost 90 PW-powered A320 Neos currently. The DGCA's November 30 statement had added that the regulator "has ensured safety of aircraft operations is not compromised at any stage.”