A flight test Airbus A320neo jetliner's Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engine sustained a bird strike during a flight test from Toulouse...
A spectacular image of the engine flame out following the bird ingestion captured, shows the right PW 1100G Geared Turbofan Engine, spewing fire through the exhaust. The incident occurred on the first prototype of A320neo MSN6101, which began flight testing in September 2014.
The A320neo returned back to the airport without any further incidents. Details of the incident has not been released by Airbus and Pratt and Whitney.
According to a aviation week report, the A320neo was climbing during the incident by analysing the flap position in the picture. Aviation Week also reported the incident will not delay the flight test and affect the maiden delivery planned for 2015 end, quoting an Airbus spokesperson.
The Airbus A320neo (new engine option) is the latest variant of the successfull single aisle airplane, featuring two new engine choices, Sharklets fuel-saving wingtip devices and enhancements that give a 20 percent fuel efficiency than the current A320.
The A320neo flight test fleet currently has two aircraft powered by the PW engine. A third aircraft powered by the CFM LEAP-1A engine has been rolled out recently.
