DGCA will issue additional safety rules on P&W engines
MUMBAI: Indian airlines operating aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engines will soon have to follow additional safety protocols, following several instances of flight delay and grounding because of engine glitches.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday said it will issue an additional safety directive for such aircraft within a week, but noted that incidents reported in India are fewer than the global benchmark.
Senior officials from the civil aviation ministry and DGCA recently met representatives from P&W, Airbus, and airlines such as Indigo and Goair, which have faced problems with engines. Airbus A320neo planes using P&W engines operated by Indigo and Goair have had several on-ground and mid-air glitches since their induction in early 2016.
“It was noted that the In-flight Shutdowns (IFSDS) on account of these Neo (new engine options) engines in India has averaged 0.02 per 1,000 engine flight hours, which is considerably lower than the stringent global benchmark of 0.05 IFSDS per 1,000 engine flight hours,” DGCA said. “So far in India, there have been 12 IFSDS since the entry into service of Neo engines” in March 2016, it said.
The DGCA said most of the IFSDS and other related incidents have happened because of the failure of ‘Number 3 Bearing’ seal, failure of ‘Knife Edge Seal’, erosion of combustion chamber material, low-pressure turbine rotor blades damage, and issues relating to the main gear box.
“Corrective action has been taken by P&W and the airlines in respect of all except issues relating to main gear box which is a recent phenomenon,” the regulator said. DGCA said it has been in talking to manufacturers and the certifying regulatory authority for these engines (FAA, USA).
“It was also noted that FAA and its European counterpart EASA have not declared these engines as unsafe,” it said.
A P&W India spokesperson said that the company appreciated the thoughtful exchange of information with the aviation ministry and DGCA.
“All parties are now aligned on the status of the GTF (geared turbofan) programme in India, whose reliability has greatly improved over the last year. The GTF programme continues to be certified to the industry’s highest safety standards,” the spokesperson said.