NEW DELHI: Budget carrier SpiceJet has been fined Rs 10 lakh for using a faulty Boeing 737 MAX simulator to train their pilots.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had conducted a simulator surveillance at CAE Simulation Training Pvt Ltd (CSTPL), Greater Noida, on March 30, 2022.
“There was a missing malfunction inoperative item for the B737 MAX for stick shaker on P2 (co-pilot) side. It had been inoperative since March 17, 2022. However this simulator was being operated to conduct return to service training for SpiceJet pilots in violation (of rules),” said a DGCA official.
The stick shaker — that vibrates the control column and makes a loud noise when the jet risks losing lift — on co-pilot side of this simulator was not functional when the training was imparted.
Since this “training could have adversely effected flight safety”, the aviation regulator had nullified the same for 90 pilots and had directed that they undergo the training again on a fully functional simulator.
