A routine domestic hop from Lima to Piura turned dramatic on October 19, when flames and thick smoke burst from the left engine of a LATAM Airlines Perú Airbus A320 as it prepared for departure at Jorge Chávez International Airport.
The aircraft, operating flight LA2302, had not yet taken off when fire appeared around the engine and spread smoke across the left wing area. Video filmed from the tarmac shows flames clearly visible near the engine, while another clip shot from inside the cabin captures the scene through the window as passengers were still on board. Airport emergency crews responded quickly and dealt with the fire, and the aircraft stayed on the ground.
Aviation reports identify the jet as an A320-214 registered CC-BFS, a 2013-built aircraft powered by CFM56-5B4/3 engines. LATAM has not officially confirmed the registration or offered a detailed technical explanation. The airline called the event an unforeseen technical issue and stressed that passengers were taken off as a preventive measure. Nobody was hurt.
The disruption carried on for hours. LATAM rebooked everyone onto alternative services, and a replacement A320 reportedly reached Piura later the same day. Peru's consumer protection agency Indecopi monitored the situation at the airport to make sure travellers received clear information about the rearranged flights. The airport itself kept operating normally.
What caused the fire remains unknown. It has not been established whether it started inside the engine or in a nearby component, and it would be premature to blame a specific mechanical fault. Before the aircraft can fly again, maintenance teams will need to inspect the engine, nacelle, fuel and electrical systems, and the surrounding wing structure, repairing or replacing anything damaged until the plane meets airworthiness requirements. LATAM has given no timeline for that process.
For anyone flying domestically in Peru, the main takeaway is a reassuring one: the safety procedures worked exactly as intended. The fire happened on the ground, the crew followed protocol, and all passengers were safely disembarked and rebooked the same day — with a consumer agency watching over the airline's handling of it. If you're booked on a LATAM domestic flight and see news of delays or aircraft swaps, this is a reminder that such changes usually trace back to precautionary maintenance, and that Lima-Piura services continued operating throughout the incident.
