SpiceJet flight rams into lamp-post, pilot grounded: Indira Gandhi International Airport

Passengers of a Delhi-Hyderabad SpiceJet flight had a narrow escape around 7.30 pm on Thursday when the aircraft’s right wing hit a high light-post at IGI Airport while taxiing to the runway for take-off.

Sources said the pilot might have veered off the guiding line when he turned the Boeing 737-800 on the taxiway to approach the runway.

Airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said no one was injured. There were 137 passengers on board. The passengers were sent to Hyderabad in a separate plane about two hours later.

“Preliminary reports suggest that the aircraft, after clearance for departure, came out of the parking bay and veered out of the taxiway guiding line. As a result, the plane hit the post,” a DIAL spokesperson said. The right wing of the aircraft and the light-post were completely damaged.

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry to find out whether there was a technical snag or it was the pilot’s fault.

“As a rule, the aircraft’s nose wheel must always be in alignment with the central marker on the taxiway. But as the plane started moving, the nose wheel veered away from the central line. It moved eight metres towards the right of the central line and hit the pole,” a senior DGCA official said.

SpiceJet said “it was a minor incident”. “We are doing an internal investigation,” a spokesperson said. A DGCA official said an alcohol test was conducted to check if the pilot was inebriated.

“A team has been formed to investigate the matter and the pilot has been grounded till the inquiry is over,” the official said.

On a wing & a Prayer

Plane veers 8 metres off central line on taxiway

Right wing hits high light-post, damaged

Inquiry ordered

Pilot grounded, alcohol test done

Passengers safe, fly to Hyderabad in another plane

Source:   http://www.indianexpress.com 

SpiceJet plane bumps into floodlight before take off 

 NEW DELHI: It is common to find vehicles crashing into stationary objects on Indian roads. But at the IGI Airport on Thursday evening, a Boeing 737-800 followed in the act. A SpiceJet aircraft veered off its path and crashed into an apron floodlight, seriously damaging the plane's wing.

The airline and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation are still not sure what led the pilot to digress from his well marked path and stray about 8 metres towards the floodlight. The incident occurred about 7.40pm when SpiceJet flight SG-239 was moving towards the taxiway to leave for Hyderabad.

The aircraft had 136 passengers and six crew members on board. "As the aircraft headed to the taxiway, the pilot seems to have turned before the actual turning. The right wing struck against an apron floodlight. The wing and the light were damaged significantly," said sources.

DGCA orders probe into 'minor' incident

A SpiceJet aircraft veered off its path and crashed into an apron floodlight at the IGI airport, seriously damaging the plane's wing. After the accident, the pilot informed the air traffic control that he wanted to return to the parking bay due to "technical problems". The passengers were later put on another aircraft, also a Boeing 737-800, and departed for Hyderabad at 9.25pm.

While the airline maintained that the incident was "minor", DGCA said that they had taken a serious view of the accident. A team was set up to investigate it and fact-finding went on till at least 1am on Friday. "We would like to clarify that it was a minor incident. We are doing an internal investigation in this matter," said an airline spokesperson.

DGCA chief Arun Mishra said: "This is a serious incident and is being treated as one. So far it is not clear how and why the pilot strayed off the marked path. There were sufficient lights to help him see so that cannot be an issue. Let's see what the investigation throws up." Sources said that the pilot has been grounded pending enquiry.

Sources explained that routes are marked clearly for aircraft and other vehicles at the airport. "For aircraft, their route to and from the apron area to taxiways and then to the main runway are highlighted in yellow. The aircraft nose has to be aligned with the line and the aircraft moves without any obstruction. However, in this case, the aircraft had left this path. This could either be human error or a technical problem," said sources.

Source:   http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com