On May 1, a SpiceJet flight from Mumbai to Durgapur encountered significant turbulence, injuring 17 persons, two of whom were in intensive care. As a result, India's aviation authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has announced that the whole SpiceJet aircraft fleet will be inspected to prevent any such occurrences.
The flight's crew, aircraft maintenance engineer (AME), and in-charge of SpiceJet's maintenance control centre were also removed from the roster awaiting an investigation by the DGCA. The aircraft involved in the incident on May 1 is currently grounded in Kolkata, according to the DGCA. The remainder of SpiceJet's fleet is operational. According to SpiceJet's website, the airline has 91 aircraft in its fleet.
"The DGCA has off-rostered the involved crew, the AME...And in-charge of SpiceJet's Maintenance Control Center pending investigation," the statement stated. "The plane in question is currently parked in Kolkata. The DGCA is inspecting SpiceJet aircraft across the fleet as a regulatory step "It was also added.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Minister of Aviation, stated, "The turbulence experienced by a flight landing in Durgapur, as well as the injuries sustained by the passengers, is terrible. A team from the DGCA has been dispatched to investigate the event."
He stated that the subject is being handled with the utmost seriousness and deftness. "Once the investigation is done, more details on the cause(s) would be released," Scindia said. According to the DGCA, 195 persons were on board the Mumbai-Durgapur flight, including two pilots and four cabin staff members. According to the report, the plane took off from Mumbai airport at 5:13 p.m. on Sunday (May 1).
"The aircraft experienced considerable turbulence during descent, with vertical load factors ranging from +2.64G to -1.36G. During this time, the autopilot was turned off for two minutes, and the crew flew the plane manually "it was mentioned
After landing, the pilots informed Durgapur ATC that a few passengers had been hurt due to turbulence and asked medical aid. The DGCA said the injuries to 14 passengers and three cabin crew members were caused by head, spine, shoulder, forehead, and facial injuries, and that three passengers were hospitalised at the time.
The oxygen panels opened up and oxygen masks fell inside the cabin due to strong turbulence, according to the report. "A few seat hand rests and overhead ornamental panels have been damaged. The latch on one of the cabin's overhead bins (hatrack) was found to be damaged "it was mentioned
"The contents from the galley were thrown across the floor. The same was true in the aisle. Following an inspection, the airline positioned the plane in Kolkata "It was stated. According to the DGCA, a multidisciplinary team has been formed to investigate the extreme turbulence occurrence.
"We have delegated a multidisciplinary team to conduct a regulatory probe (into this occurrence)," DGCA chief Arun Kumar told PTI.