India

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    SpiceJet Denies Violating Air Safety Rules, Defends Mid-Air Holi Celebrations

    Spicejet

    The mid-air Holi celebrations of the crew of SpiceJet, a low cost Indian airline, on Monday, March 17 resulted in a show cause notice by the Director General of Civil Aviation.

    The notice states that airline has violated air safety regulations as the pilot left the cockpit unnecessarily, the dance and song performance affected the preparedness of the crew and the frequent movement of the dancing crew disturbed the center of gravity of the aircraft.

    However, the airline officials maintain that the mid-air Holi celebration did not violate any air safety guidelines.  The cockpit was manned even though the co-pilot stepped out.  The Holi performance was pre-planned and five extra crew members, specially trained for this choreographed performance, were on board.  Therefore, preparedness of the crew members was not affected at all.

    SpiceJet official statement said that this sort of performances are not new in the airline industry.  Several airlines celebrate special occasions for delight of the passengers.

    Some media sources report that the airline has suspended the involved pilot and co-pilot.

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    A Dubai Bound Air India Flight Diverts to Mumbai on Suspicion of Damaged Tire

    A Dubai Bound Air India Flight Diverts to Mumbai on Suspicion of Damaged Tire

    An Air India Express Flight flying from Lucknow to Dubai made a safe emergency landing in Mumbai on its third attempt.
    Flight IX 193 took off at 2.05 pm on March 8, 2014, from Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow. Small rubber particles were detected on the runway after take-off led to suspicions that one or more tires could be damaged.

    The plane was then diverted to Mumbai for an emergency landing, where the pilot asked ATC to check if the tires were satisfactory for safe landing. According to reports, the pilot brought the plane 100 feet above the runway, twice unsuccessfully. ATC successfully viewed the tires on the third flyby, after which the plane landed safely.

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    Jet Airways Bhuj-Mumbai Flight Makes Uneventful Landing Due to False Bomb Threat

    A Jet Airways local flight in India had to make an emergency landing due to a bomb threat.

    The flight 9W 2536, set from Bhuj  to Mumbai, was on its way when the Bhuj airport director received an anonymous call, stating that there is a bomb in the air plane. Consequently, a full emergency was declared at the Mumbai Airport, with ambulances and fire tenders ready at the scene.

    The flight landed at 10:37 am and all 60 passengers and 5 crew members were safely evacuated.

    The air craft was later declared safe, after a two hour long security check.

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    AI Tires Blown

    On Feb 2, Air India Flight AI-191, a Boeing 777-337ER, en route from Ahmedabad to Mumbai blew three tires on landing. The crew was able to taxi to the gate with assistance. No injuries to the 260 passengers resulted from the blown tires, and there were no reports of injuries using the emergency exits.

    The AI flight’s eventual destination was the US. Passengers continuing their journey were provided an alternative Boeing 777.

    THere’s no indication if the tires blew do to the runway surface, tire quality, a hard landing or other reason. The incident is under investigation.

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    GoAir Emergency Landing

    Former Army Chief General V.K. Singh was on his way to Mumbai to launch his book at the ongoing Mumbai Literary Festival when the GoAir flight he was on with about 100 passengers had a fire alarm and was forced to return to IGI airport forty minutes after it left.

    Passengers were provided an alternative flight.

    One person was injured during emergency exit procedures.

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    Military Jet Crashes, Pilot Ejects


    An Indian Air Force MiG-29 was engaged in training maneuvers when the pilot ejected near Jamnagar in Gujarat, and the plane crashed. The wreckage is between Amran and Jivapar villages which are close to Jamangar airbase,

    During the training flight, the plane developed a “technical snag.”

    A court of inquiry is underway.

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    Indigo Diverts for Medical Emergency in India

    A Delhi-Hyderabad Indigo flight made an emergency landing at Nagpur, Maharashtra, India when a passenger, Neelratan, had a heart attack.

    Pilots made the unscheduled landing at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, where the passenger disembarked and was taken to a cardiac hospital.

    After the passenger disembarked, the flight continued to its destination.

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    First Responders Compromise Investigation

    The first responders to the Sunday crash in India’s Naneghat Hills compromised the investigation of a crash by moving the wreckage before investigators arrived. The United Helicharters flight from Juhu to Aurangabad to Nagpur crashed in the Naneghat Hills at an altitude of 2,000 feet.

    The bodies of the deceased and the flight data recorders were also removed before the DGCA arrived.

    Two pilots and three passengers died in the twin-engine Bell 212 crash during a foggy flight. The crash occurred on Sept 29, 2013 at 8:15 a.m..

    Protocol demands that except for rescue of survivors, the wreckage not be touched until the DGCA has arrived.

    Police and fire teams removed the bodies of captain Anshu Kumar Matta, captain Surendra Singh Bhadauria, co captain Allen Martin, technician Dean D’Souza and engineer Yatin Wakde, whose bodies were burned in the crash. The recovery team also failed to record the recovery process which is a violation of protocol, just as in the Mangalore crash.

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    Trivandrum airport Emergency Landing

    A Mega Airlines flight that was en route from the Maldives to Beijing diverted to Trivandrum when a 23 year old Chinese passenger, Yanzhi suffered a medical emergency.

    The Mega Airlines flight was delayed in Trivandrum for more than three hours.

    The plane went fifty miles off route to take Yanzhi to get care for pains and bleeding. Medical personnel at Trivandrum International Airport examined Yanzhi upon arrival. The patient and her husband were cleared through immigration, and she was hospitalized at Ananthapuri Hospital for the pregnancy emergency. Mega Airlines (Mega Global Air Services) operates as Mega Maldives Airlines with destinations in China and Korea.

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    Helicopter Emergency Landing in India

    On August 14, 2013, a Tej Airways Robinson R44 Raven II en route from Godhra to Amdavad ashram had to make an emergency landing at Chartoda graveyard in Gomtipu, near Ahmedabad, India.

    The helicopter had been chartered for Narayan Prem Sai by his father, Hindu Spiritual leader Asaram Babu.

    Four firetrucks and three ambulances responded to the scene.

    Two people were hospitalized.

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    Spicejet Emergency Landing at Thoothukudi

    On July 29, 2013, a Spicejet de Havilland Dash 8-200 with 49 aboard was en route from Chennai to Thoothukudi (AKA Tuticorin). After a safe flight, the plane had a tail strike on landing at Thoothukudi Airport. The damaged plane was grounded pending examination.

    Passengers returning to Chennai on the next scheduled flight were provided alternative transportation.

    Passengers described a bounce, and then the tail making a grating sound as it landed on the runway.

    There are no reports of passenger injury.

    Pudukottai police and airport security officials responded to the scene.

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    Indigo Flight Loses Baby


    An IndiGo flight covering the 1329 miles from Mumbai to Chennai had 150 passengers aboard when one of them, an infant, suffered a medical episode.

    The seven month old was flying to Chennai for medical treatment for three holes in his heart, but an hour into the flight, suffered distress.

    Efforts to sustain the baby were made, including defibrillation and CPR.

    Pilots returned to Mumbai and made a safe landing, but on return to Mumbai, the infant was declared dead by a doctor on the ground.

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    MIG 21 plane crash in Rajasthan

    On July 15, 2013, at about 0930 hours, a vintage MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft of IAF crashed on Monday while landing at Uttarlai Airbase in western Rajasthan. The pilot who was flying the plane died in the crash.

    The Indian Air Force fighter crashed while landing at Uttarlai Air Base, Rajasthan. The pilot had been on a routine training flight. The pilot failed to eject from the plane.

    A Court of Inquiry will be investigating.

    See Indian News Video

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    Indian Rescue Chopper Crashes During Flood Evacuation


    On Jun 25, 2013, an Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 V5 newly acquired helicopter was on a rescue/medical mission assisting victims of floods in Northern India when it crashed in bad weather (rain and fog). An Indian newspaper says there were 19 aboard, including NDRF, ITBP and IAF personnel.

    The helicopter was from Barrackpore Air Force Station in West Bengal under the Eastern Air Command.

    The helicopter crashed near the pilgrimage site of Gaurikund. Flash floods in the area are having dire consequences.

    According to one report, eight bodies were recovered, five of whom were crew. There appear to be no survivors of the crash.

    At the time of the crash, the helicopter was on it’s third run. more than 7,500 people are reported as being still stranded by the flooding in the hills of Uttarakhand. Buildings are being washed away, and roads flooded.

    A court of Inquiry has been convened to investigate the cause of the helicopter crash. The flight recorder has been recovered.

    A later report amends 19 to 20 aboard. Twenty bodies have been recovered. The air chief marshal offered condolences on the death of 5 IAF, 6 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 9 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel who died.

    Air Force officials said their personnel on the chopper that crashed were: Wg Cdr Darryl Castelino, Flt Lt. K Praveen, Flt Lt Tapan Kapoor, JWO A.K. Singh and Sgt Sudhakar Yadav.

    The NDRF personnel were: Commandant Nitya Nand Gupta, 48, resident of Kanpur; Inspector Bhim Singh, 49, resident of Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir; Sub Inspector Satish Kumar, 44, resident of Bhiwani in Haryana; Constable K. Vinaygan, 28, resident of Chitoor in Andhra Pradesh; Constable Bassavaraj Yaragatti, 31, resident of Gadag in Karnataka; Constable Santosh Kumar Paswan, 24, resident of Koderma in Jharkhand; Constable Sanjiva Kumar, 27, resident of Balia in Uttar Pradesh; Constable Shashi Kant Ramesh Pawar, 31, resident of Dhulia in Maharashtra; and Constable Ahir Rao Ganesh, 32, resident of Jalgaon in Maharashtra.

    The six ITBP personnel were: Commandant Nand Ram, 27, Sub Inspector Jayender Prasad, 55, Constable Jomon P.G., 26, Constable Bibhuti Roy, 26, Constable Sarvesh Kumar, 31, and Constable Ajay Lal, 23.

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    Diversion to Nagpur

    On May 27 2013, an Air India Flight 452 A321 en route from Visakhapatnam to Delhi was in the air for an hour and a half when alerts indicated engine fluctuations.

    Pilots diverted to Nagpur where they made a safe landing at Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport at 11:00 a.m.. None of the 174 passengers and crew reported injury.

    Passengers were provided alternative flights to Delhi.

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    Door Locks Out Air India Captain


    On May 13/14, 2013 the cockpit door of one of Air India’s planes locked the captain out while he was using the toilet. The co-pilot and trainee pilot had to land the plane in Bhopal for ground maintenance engineers to fix the problem.

    On May 13, the flight took off from Delhi for Bangalore.

    Air India’s official statement was that the captain couldn’t return to the cockpit because the door was locked and that all efforts to open it, even from inside, failed during Tuesday’s flight from New Delhi to the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

    The airline claims that no one was endangered during the “unscheduled landing.” No doubt the passengers watching the pilot attempting–and failing–to open the cockpit door would disagree. Apparently there was some degree of panic among the passengers. This is just one in a long series of air safety issues from Air India.

    After the plane landed at 5.55pm, ground maintenance engineers did fix the door. The flight continued to Bangalore at 8.45 pm, and made a safe landing at at 8.45 pm.

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    Emergency landings in Bhubaneshwar


    On May 12, 2013, during turbulent weather, three flights made emergency landings at Biju Patnaik Airport.

    Two Indigo flights from Raipur to Kolkata and Bangalore to Kolkata made emergency landings, as well as an Air India flight from Agartala to Kolkata.

    No serious injuries were sustained, but several crew members and passengers were affected by turbulence.

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    Emergency Landing in Mumbai

    An IndiGo flight en route from Srinagar to Mumbai developed a problem with a nose wheel, leading to the pilot requesting priority landing at Mumbai.

    Emergency services were on hand when the pilot made the emergency landing. No injuries were reported.

    The plane was towed to the gate.

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    LionAir Flight Undershoots Bali Runway, 108 Aboard


    On April 13, 2013, a Bandung to Denpasar Lion Air Boeing 737-800 en undershot the Denpasar Airport runway and ditched in the ocean—literally falling from a height of 55 yards. All of the 101 passengers and 7 crew got out alive, but at least twenty people were injured.

    On impact, the plane broke in two. The brand new plane was delivered to Lion Air on March 28, 2013.

    Passengers were evacuated into rubber boats. The injured were taken to three hospitals. No serious injuries were reported.

    The pilot had 10,000 hours in the air.

    In George’s Point of View


    A plane drops 55 yards breaks in half and no one is seriously injured.

    Something happened. The investigation will do its best to pinpoint what exactly could knock out a plane with weeks of service. But with no serious injuries in a plane that is cracked in half, I have only two things to say: two best safety devices are 1) a well built plane and 2)a well-trained crew.

    We’re posting this only hours after it happened. So expect updates when more information is available. Initial reports can be prone to misinformation.

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    Air France Crisis Over Mumbai


    photographer Sergio Cardona

    On March 11, 2013, an Air France Airbus A330 en route from Mumbai to Paris developed an engine problem. The pilot shut down the engine and returned to Mumbai.

    There were almost two hundred passengers aboard the flight. None of them reported injury.

    Passengers disembarked, and were provided accommodations as an alternative flight was provided.

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    Indigo Suffers Gusty Winds on Landing, Stops on Soft Ground

    On March 9, 2013 at 13:05 an IndiGo Airbus A320-232 with 40 aboard was landing from Chandigarh to Mumbai when the plane veered off the runway and destroyed runway lights. The plane was struck by a gust of wind which knocked it off course. No passengers were injured.

    The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is investigating.

    It took a couple hours to clean up the runway after the incident.

    In George’s Point of View


    It has been in the news several times lately that Air traffic control is not reporting their knowledge of gusty wind conditions on the runways.

    Let us hope that this is not one if the incidents in which Air Traffic Controllers forgot or otherwise neglected to inform pilots of dangerous landing conditions. Of course, we are very pleased that no injuries were reported.

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    Jet Airways emergency landing

    On Feb 25, 2013, a Jet Airways flight with 135 passengers was en route from Mumbai to Kolkata when the plane developed a problem and diverted to NSC Bose International airport.

    Pilots were alerted of a landing gear problem. It is not known if the flight made a flyby inspection, but ti made a safe landing at 10:22 pm.

    Passengers and crew disembarked safely.

    The problem is suspected to be hydraulic.

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    No Fatalities in Bangladesh Helicopter Crash


    On Feb 12, 2013, at 4:15 p.m. a Meghna Group McDonnell Douglas Md600N en route from Nimertek village in Rupganj upazila, Bangladesh hit a tree while en route.

    One account says the helicopter struck the tree in Narayanganj after suffering technical glitches.

    Two were hospitalized at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. There were two crew and four or five passengers. (Accounts vary.)

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    GoAir Emergency Landing in Chennai

    A 2:10p.m GoAir flight G8302 Airbus A320 from Chennai to Mumbai made an emergency landing when the plane filled with smoke, probably from the air conditioning vents.

    As soon as the plane made a safe landing, passengers disembarked and were moved a safe distance from the plane. There were over 50 passengers aboard.

    The plane made it halfway to Mumbai when the pilots had to turn back to Chennai.

    The problem is probably the AC system. An investigation is underway.

    See Video

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    Emergency Landing at NSC Bose International airport

    After experiencing an engine problem on Dec 17, 2012, a chartered Kazakistan plane en route from Bangkok to Lucknow made an emergency landing at NSC Bose International airport.

    There were 23 aboard, 17 of whom passengers. No injuries were reported.

    The left engine stalled for unknown reason. The flight made a safe landing at 10:15 with emergency services on standby.