A SpiceJet Boeing 737 plane was grounded on Monday after experiencing a problem with its nose wheel, an official said. The aircraft was later allowed to fly. The airline then sent an alternate aircraft to Dubai, the official added.
Following the landing of the aircraft, the engineers noticed that the nose wheel of the plane had compressed more than normal, which prompted the precautionary grounding of the plane, according to a government official. After the aircraft was grounded, the nitrogen was added to the aircraft’s tank.
An aircraft of SpiceJet was released for service after a check-up revealed no abnormalities. The flight, which was supposed to leave for Delhi, was delayed due to a technical issue. An airline spokesperson said that the incident, which occurred during the last minute, did not cause a safety scare.
The first plane to take off following the technical issue was then sent back to India. The airline spokesperson said that the aircraft was released for service after the issue was resolved.
The country’s aviation regulator issued a warning notice to budget carrier SpiceJet, saying that it failed to establish a safe and reliable service. The notice came after the airline reported a series of safety incidents. The regulator cited a review of the company’s operations conducted last year, which found that its maintenance procedures were not followed properly.
Following a review of the various air safety incidents that occurred during the period from April 1 to May 1, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked the airline to explain how it could not take action against the involved aircraft. There have been nine different air safety incidents reported by the airline during that period.
On Tuesday, a SpiceJet freighter plane was forced to return to Kolkata after its weather radar was found to be malfunctioning.
A flight from Delhi to Dubai was diverted to Karachi after a fuel indicator malfunctioned. On the same day, a flight from Mumbai to Delhi was forced to land in the state of Maharashtra after a crack appeared on the windshield. In another incident, a SpiceJet flight was forced to return to Delhi after the crew members noticed that the aircraft was shrouded in smoke. The airline’s chief executive officer said that the company would be carrying out a comprehensive inspection of its aircraft before they are released for service.