DGCA steps up SpiceJet fleet scrutiny after smoke in cabin
Days after a SpiceJet flight, a Q400 aircraft turboprop made an emergency landing in Hyderabad after smoke filled its cockpit and cabin, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday ordered a clutch of inspections of the airline’s 14 Q400 aircraft, asking it to conduct regular engine oil analysis, and a one-time assessment of the 28 engines in the fleet.
The SpiceJet flight landed at the Hyderabad airport on October 12 amid a full emergency, with officials saying that engine oil seepage that entered the aircraft’s air-conditioning system appeared to have caused the incident. All passengers disembarked safely from the Goa-Hyderabad flight after it landed at around 11pm, but the emergency prompted DGCA to initiate a probe into the latest in the string of safety incidents concerning the domestic carrier.
On Monday, the aviation regulator asked SpiceJet, which has witnessed a series of safety incidents in recent months, to take oil samples and send them to engine-maker Pratt & Whitney, Canada every 15 days instead of the current norm of 30 days for analysis.
