Ranchi, Feb 12 (Zee News): It was a close shave for 180 passengers of an IndiGo flight at the Birsa Munda airport in Ranchi. During the take-off of the Ranchi-Delhi fight, the pilot found that the aircraft had some technical fault and abandoned the take-off of flight 6E 398.

Prabhat Khabar reported that the pilot spotted the fault during the ground run of the flight itself, and hence stopped it to get it checked.

The engineers at the airport took more than two-and-a-half hours to fix the fault. The aircraft, which was scheduled to take-off at 9.35 am, but could fly only after noon.

Meanwhile, the no-frill airline has declared that it has grounded three A320 neo aircraft due to engine problems. According to a statement released by the airline, IndiGo has withdrawn three A320 neo aircraft from service, effectively from February 9, 2018, due to the engine problems. The grounded aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.

"We confirm receiving the recommendations by Pratt & Whitney as well as EASA (European Aviation Safety Regulator) with respect to the A320 neo aircraft powered by PW1100G - JM engines. We have three aircraft with the particular engine configuration, which have been flagged by EASA", IndiGo said in a release.

Media reports also quoted a senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official saying the grounding of aircraft powered by Pratt and Whitney engines follows a directive from European aviation safety regulator EASA.

The EASA had on Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive for A320 neo planes fitted with PW1100 engines having a particular serial number.

The directive came in the wake of instances of the engine’s in-flight shut-downs and rejected take-offs involving A320 neo family planes, the DGCA official was quoted as saying.