A LATAM Airlines Peru Airbus A320 suffered an engine fire on Monday (19) at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, shortly before its scheduled departure for Piura in northern Peru.
Videos recorded at the airport show large flames and thick smoke coming from the left engine area. Another video, recorded by a passenger seated near the wing, shows the fire outside the aircraft while those aboard remained in the cabin.
The incident involved flight LA2302. LATAM said the aircraft experienced an “unexpected technical event” before departure and the passengers were evacuated. Airport emergency crews responded to the incident, with no injuries reported.
The aircraft was identified as CC-BFS, an Airbus A320-214 equipped with sharklets. The jet, manufacturer serial number 5818, was built in 2013 and is powered by CFM International CFM56-5B4/3 engines.
https://x.com/AirwayBrasil/status/2112206103987806448
Despite its similarity to newer members of the A320 family, CC-BFS is an A320ceo, the generation that preceded the A320neo. Sharklets were also introduced during the later years of A320ceo production and retrofitted to some older aircraft.
Cause remains unknown
The available footage shows intense flames beneath the left wing in the engine area, followed by a large amount of smoke. The cause of the fire has not yet been disclosed.
There is also no official information at this point to determine whether the fire originated inside the CFM56 or from a system or component near the engine.
CC-BFS had arrived in Lima on Sunday on a flight from Iquitos. LA2302 did not depart on Monday. LATAM said it provided assistance to the passengers affected by the incident.
