HYDERABAD: The Director General of Civil Aviation, investigating the emergency landing of SpiceJet Flight SG 3735 from Goa, with 86 persons on-board at RGIA on October 12, after smoke was noticed in the cockpit in its preliminary report, said that engine oil was found in the engine bleeding valve.
This led to the oil entering the aircraft’s AC system resulting in smoke in the cabin.
The investigation committee of DGCA sent the engine oil samples to Pratt and Whitney, Canada, to ascertain the presence of metal and carbon seal particles.
The DGCA directed Spicejet to take up one-time boroscopic inspection of all operational engines, within one week.
The DGCA said that they would initiate appropriate measures to prevent further untoward incidents.
The DGCA also directed SpiceJet to carry out analysis of engine oil samples from its Q400 fleet and other inspections. It also asked the carrier to conduct an inspection of the bleed-off valve screen and housing for evidence of oil wetness apart from other technical checks.
The airline 14 operational Q400 planes equipped with 28 PW 150A engines.
The latest directions come at a time when SpiceJet is under enhanced surveillance of the 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 said 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.
Against this backdrop, SpiceJet has been directed that “no engine shall be sent to Standard Aero-Singapore till the investigation is completed,” the statement said.
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