After Smoke In SpiceJet Cabin, Regulator Warns Of Action

India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered budget carrier SpiceJet to inspect all operational Q400 aircraft engines within one week. DGCA said in a statement issued today that it shall take all appropriate action to avert any untoward incident.

The DGCA directive comes after a SpiceJet Q400 aircraft coming from Goa made an emergency landing in Hyderabad on October 12 around 11pm after extensive smoke was detected in the cabin. The plane landed safely and passengers disembarked through the emergency exit. One passenger sustained minor injuries while disembarking from the aircraft, a DGCA official had said.

DGCA said preliminary investigation revealed evidence of engine oil entering the aircraft's air-conditioning system, causing smoke in the cabin.

The aviation regulator has ordered SpiceJet to send all oil samples to Canada every 15 days in order to ensure that no metal or carbon seal components are present in them. It has also instructed the airline to immediately inspect the magnetic chip detectors on all Q400 aircraft for presence of any metal particles.

A Hyderabad airport official later said there were 86 passengers onboard the SpiceJet aircraft that made an emergency landing on October 12 and due to that, as many as nine flights were diverted that night.

"SpiceJet Q400 aircraft operating from Goa to Hyderabad landed safely at its destination on October 12, after smoke was observed in the cabin during descent. Passengers were safely disembarked," an airline spokesperson had said.

SpiceJet has been facing operational and financial headwinds in recent times and it is already under enhanced surveillance of the DGCA.

On July 27, DGCA had directed SpiceJet to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of its flights, which were approved in the summer schedule for a period of eight weeks owing to a series of incidents involving its flights. Last month, the restrictions were extended till October 29.