Eye on the sky: DGCA inspecting GoAir’s PW engines used over 3,000 hours

By Anwesha Ganguly

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has started the process of inspecting all of GoAir’s Pratt & Whitney low pressure turbine (LPT) engines which have been operated for over 3,000 hours, senior officials said.

A decision on engines that do not meet DGCA’s standards will be taken within a week’s time, an official said. GoAir has over 50 Airbus A320neos in its fleet.

“We have started the process of inspecting the engines. All of them belonging to GoAir will be inspected by DGCA officials along with airline technicians and those which do not meet our standard may be put out of commission. The process will be completed over the coming few days and a final view will be taken,” a senior official said.

The country’s civil aviation regulator has been scrutinising Airbus A320s fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines following multiple incidents of in-flight shutdowns, engine vibrations and other issues involving domestic carriers including IndiGo.

Last month, the DGCA issued a directive mandating IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, to replace both low-pressure-turbine engines of the 97 Airbus A320neos fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, which are currently in its fleet, by January 31, 2020.

The DGCA move follows an incident involving IndiGo’s aircraft when an engine of a Pune-bound flight reportedly stalled with a loud banging noise and experienced vibrations. The regulator had said the situation called for called for “urgent and effective action” and the situation could not be allowed to continue indefinitely.

During its earlier inspections, the DGCA noted that engines with 2,900-3,000 flight hours are more vulnerable to LPT damage.

The A320neo fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines have been riddled with problems, including gearbox failures, combustion chamber distress, engine vibration and low-pressure turbine failures.