Sichuan Airlines A320 Diverts to Ningbo After Engine Failure

A Sichuan Airlines A320-200 operating a service from Zhoushan to Dazhou, China diverted to Ningbo after an engine failure on 22 September.

A Sichuan Airlines Airbus A320-200 operating a service from Zhoushan to Dazhou, China diverted to Ningbo due to an engine problem on 22 September 2024.

Sichuan Airlines flight 3U6960, an Airbus A320-200, was on climb after departing Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport (HSN). In the early stages of the climb below 10,000 feet, the aircraft suffered an engine failure.

Sichuan Airlines 3U6960 Zhoushan-Dazhou

Flight track of Sichuan Airlines flight from Zhoushan showing diversion to Ningbo.

Flight crew terminated the climb procedure and shut down the failed engine. A diversion to nearby Ningbo was then negotiated. The flight then landed without further incident on runway 31 Ningbo Lishe International Airport (NGB).

A replacement aircraft was mustered by the airline to complete the scheduled service to Dazhou Jinya Airport (DZH).

Flight Details

Flight data shows that flight 3U6960 made an on-time departure out of Zhoushan at 1900 local time on 22 September. The flight had set course and was in the initial stages of climb when flight crew terminated the climb procedure at 8000 feet.

The aircraft conducting the 3U6960 regional service to Dazhou was an Airbus A320-200, registered B-1886. This is a 9.8 year old narrowbody aircraft belonging to the carrier Sichuan Airlines. It has been in operational service with the airline since its initial delivery from the factory in December 2014.

Laurent ERRERA from L’Union, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sichuan Airlines is a major Chinese airline headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan province. It’s one of the largest airlines in Western China and serves both domestic and international destinations.

Key Points about Sichuan Airlines:

Hubs: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.
Destinations: Serves a wide range of destinations across China and internationally, including Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.
Fleet: Consists of a modern fleet of aircraft, including Airbus and Boeing models.