Days after one of SpiceJet’s Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft made an emergency landing at Hyderabad caused by smoke in the cabin, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Monday directed SpiceJet to carry out analysis of engine oil samples from its Q400 fleet and a slew of other inspections.
The latest directions also come at a time when SpiceJet is already under the enhanced surveillance of DGCA. Following a spate of incidents involving the airline’s planes, the regulator, on July 27, capped the maximum flights that can be operated by it to 50 per cent.
Last month, the curbs were extended till October 29. “DGCA is keeping a close watch on the situation and shall take all appropriate action to avert any untoward incident,” it said in a statement on Monday.
Spicejet aircraft VT-SQB was involved in an incident of ‘smoke in cabin’ during descent necessitating an emergency landing at Hyderabad. The passengers were safely evacuated with the assistance of cabin crew and airport staff: DGCA pic.twitter.com/amZwtrKNQK
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2022
On October 12, a SpiceJet plane coming from Goa made an emergency landing at Hyderabad airport following the incident of smoke in the cabin.
The regulator has asked the airline to take the engine oil samples and send them to Pratt & Whitney Canada for PW150A oil analysis technology. This is to ascertain if there is “presence of metal and carbon seal particles”.
DGCA also pointed out that apart from the Hyderabad incident, there was also a similar incident in the recent past involving the PWC 150A engine, which had also shop visited Standard Aero-Singapore for overhaul. In this context, SpiceJet has been directed that “no engine shall be sent to Standard Aero-Singapore till the investigation is completed”.
After examining the matter in detail, the DGCA has called for various additional measures. There were 86 passengers onboard the Q400 plane that made the emergency landing at Hyderabad airport on October 12. All the passengers were evacuated safely. In recent months, the airline has been grappling with operational and financial headwinds.
