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In aviation, a flameout (or flame-out) is the run-down of a jet engine or other gas turbine due to the extinguishment of the flame in its combustor. The loss of flame can have a variety of causes, such as fuel starvation, excessive altitude, compressor stall, foreign object damage deriving from bird strike, hail, or volcanic ash, severe precipitation, mechanical failure, or very low ambient temperatures.
Flameouts occur most frequently at intermediate or low power settings such as in cruise and descent. To prevent a flameout when atmospheric or operational conditions are conducive to it, engine control systems usually provide a continuous ignition function. Ignitors are normally used only at engine start, until the flame in the combustion chamber becomes self-sustaining. With continuous ignition, instead, the ignitors are continually sparked every second or less, so that if a flameout occurs, combustion can immediately be restored.
For example, the Airbus A320 passenger jet has a maximum ceiling of over , but its certified engine relight envelope only extends to . Up to that altitude, a windmill restart can be attempted at airspeeds greater than ; below that speed, a starter-assisted relight is required.
Core lock can make restart impossible.
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