Summary
- CAA’s Airbus A330 experienced an in-flight engine failure during a routine flight from Lubumbashi to Kinshasa within the DRC. The pilots successfully secured the engine and landed safely back at Lubumbashi airport.
- The incident occurred at around 25,000 ft, prompting the pilots to declare an emergency and switch back to Lubumbashi while maintaining level flight for a while.
- The Civil Aviation Authority of the DRC is investigating the incident and is committed to determining the basis causes and contributing aspects of the engine shutdown. The incident is assessed as serious and under investigation.
CAA Compagnie Africaine Aviation’s Airbus A330 suffered an in-flight engine shutdown during its routine flight from Lubimbashi (FBM) to Kinshasa (FIH) within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The flight crew of the aircraft, registration 9S-ABS, noticed the engine failure in the course of the initial climb out of FBM airport.
The pilots were in a position to secure the engine before preparing to return back to its origin. The aircraft landed safely at Lubumbashi airport not too long after its departure. The Civil Aviation Authority of the DRC is investigating the incident.
CAA Flight BU-1612
On August 16, CAA Flight BU-1612 was performing a routine flight from FMB to FIH onboard an Airbus A330-302 aircraft (Registration 9S-ABS, MSN 725) when the incident occurred. The aircraft took off from FMB airport for a 1 hour and 35-minute hop to FIH when pilots noticed the failure of certainly one of its General Electric CF6-80E1 engines at roughly 25,000 ft (7,620 m).
Photo: CAA
The pilots immediately stopped their climb and declared an emergency onboard the flight. The pilots prepared the aircraft to return to FMB while securing the faulty engine. The crew maintained level flight for a while before turning around and descending. The aircraft must land at the suitable landing weight, which can mean dumping excess fuel within the air before making an approach.
Flight BU-1612 touched down at runway 07 at FBM, shortly after its departure. There have been no reports of any injuries to passengers or flight crew. The aircraft remained on the bottom at FBM hours after the incident.
The Civil Aviation Authority of DRC dispatched its team of investigators on-site to evaluate the incident. The authorities are keen to search out root causes and contributing aspects involving the in-flight shutdown of the engine. While the CAA of DRC has not revealed any further information in regards to the incident, it has reported that the incident is rated as a serious occurrence, the explanation for which is under investigation.
A CAA A320 Incident from January
In January, the carrier’s Airbus A320-214 aircraft (Registration 9S-ABM) was involved in a mid-air structural failure. Upon taking off from Mbuji Mayi Airport (MJM) to perform a routine flight to FIH, the aircraft lost a component of its horizontal stabilizer. The left elevator broke from the structure because the aircraft began its initial climb out of runway 34 at MJM.