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Inspection throws up violations, DGCA goes after tipsy engineers taxiing planes
NEW DELHI: Engineers tasked with upkeep of aircraft turning up drunk for work has the aviation regulator worried, which has now asked air carriers for a report on
NEW DELHI: Engineers tasked with upkeep of aircraft turning up drunk for work has the aviation regulator worried, which has now asked air carriers for a report on alcohol test done on the staff.
Aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) — every airline has its own — are responsible for keeping an airplane, worth millions of dollars, in working condition through maintenance, inspections and repair.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed a select group of AMEs to taxi planes parked at the airport in the night, when most of the maintenance work is done, but only after undergoing an alcohol test, just like pilots do before entering the cockpit, a DGCA official said on condition of anonymity.
A recent inspection found the rule was being widely violated.
Three years ago an aircraft skidded off the taxi bay. The AME taxiing the plane was found to be drunk, prompting the regulator to make an alcohol test a must.
During a recent safety check of an airline, the DGCA found that none of the AMEs had undergone the breathalyser test.
“Similar violations were found in some other airlines too,” the DGCA official said.
The regulator has called for test data from airlines for September. “We are sure the number of violators would be very high. AMEs found to have skipped the test will be suspended for three months like pilots are after the first violation,” a source said.
“Since most of the maintenance work is done during the night hours when the majority of the fleet of most Indian carriers is parked at airports, engineers had been permitted to taxi planes from one hangar to the other or from a designated bay to a hangar. This permission was granted to a limited number of AMEs of both scheduled airlines and charter operators,” said a DGCA official, who did not wish to be named.
The regulator is planning surprise checks as well.
“Distance covered while taxiing a plane could be as much as 500 meters. How can an AME, who is drunk, be trusted to do the job? We have also decided to carry out surprise inspection at airports,” said another official.
