IndiGo Flight Experienced the Rarest Twin Engine Failure

JAIPUR- An IndiGo Airlines ATR turboprop aircraft encountered a serious technical challenge when both engines briefly extinguished in sequence during a Friday morning flight from Jaipur (JAI) to Chandigarh (IXC).

The incident occurred amid intense rainfall, with each engine automatically restarting after momentary failures. Despite the concerning situation, the flight landed safely at its scheduled destination in Chandigarh (IXC).

Photo: IndiGo

IndiGo ATR Twin Engine Failure

The IndiGo ATR first experienced a flameout in one engine that lasted only seconds before the automatic ignition system restored power. Shortly afterwards, the second engine underwent an identical failure sequence with successful auto-ignition, restoring normal function.

Aviation experts note this represents an extremely rare occurrence where engines flamed out consecutively rather than simultaneously, which could have created a far more dangerous scenario.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has demanded a comprehensive report from IndiGo (6E) regarding the incident.

A senior regulatory official confirmed the investigation, stating: “This happened during very heavy rain that had lashed the region on Friday morning. The first engine recovered and restarted after a momentary flameout. Then some time later, the same thing happened with the second engine. Luckily both the engines did not flameout simultaneously.”

The aircraft remains grounded in Chandigarh (IXC). It underwent thorough inspection procedures to determine the exact cause of the dual flame-outs.

Image credits to Wikicommons

Airline Remarks

They emphasised that passengers remained unaware of the situation during the flight, with no unusual sensations reported. The airline has notified both the engine manufacturer and aviation regulators about the incident.

Photo- ATR

Similar Incident

This incident bears striking similarities to a December 2018 event involving a Virgin Australia (VA) ATR 72 aircraft travelling from Sydney (SYD) to Canberra (CBR). During that occurrence, both engines “flamed out” during descent through heavy rain and required manual re-ignition by the pilots before landing.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau classified that incident as “serious” in their investigation. According to their report: “While the aircraft was descending through 11,000ft in heavy rain, the right engine’s power rolled back (decreased) and the engine flamed out.

The engine automatically restarted within 5 seconds. The descent continued and, while passing through 10,000ft, the left engine’s power also rolled back and that engine flamed out before automatically re-lighting.”

In response to that situation, the flight crew activated manual ignition systems for the remainder of their approach and landing sequence. The aircraft remained grounded for 3 days following the incident before returning to regular service.

Photo- ATR

Understanding Engine Flameout

A “flameout” in aviation terminology refers specifically to the extinguishing of flame within a jet engine’s combustion chamber. This potentially dangerous condition can occur when the carefully balanced mixture of fuel and air becomes disrupted, often due to environmental factors like heavy precipitation entering the engine intake.

Modern aircraft engines incorporate sophisticated auto-ignition systems designed to detect and immediately respond to combustion failures. In cases where automatic systems fail, pilots can activate manual ignition procedures to restart engines mid-flight, representing a critical emergency response technique in aviation operations.

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