2 SpiceJet pilots, staffers derostered after aircraft hits pole at Delhi airport

A breath analyser test of the employees concerned was ordered after the accident involving SpiceJet plane at Delhi airport. The tests came back negative.

Updated on: Mar 29, 2022, 06:13:15 IST

By Neha Tripathi, Jasjeev Gandhiok, New Delhi

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A SpiceJet aircraft with passengers on board was damaged on Monday at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after its wing collided with a pole as it was being reversed by a push back operator from its parking position prior to take off to Jammu, officials said.

A SpiceJet aircraft after it hit a pole on the tarmac at IGI Airport, New Delhi on Monday. (PTI)

No passenger was hurt, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the civil aviation regulator, has de-rostered airline employees involved in the incident.

The incident occurred at around 9.20am, when the SpiceJet-operated Boeing 737-800 was being reversed by a push back operator in coordination with an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) and two wing walkers.

Airport officials said the aircraft was to be pushed back till taxi line F6, but went beyond the taxi line till the apron edge marking. While the aircraft was being aligned, the trailing portion of the right wing collided with the light pole on the apron.

“Due to this impact, the aileron on the right wing’s trailing edge got damaged,” an airport official said.

A SpiceJet spokesperson confirmed the incident, and said an alternative flight was arranged for the passengers, which departed five-and-a-half hours later at 2.45pm.

“SpiceJet flight SG 160 was scheduled to operate between Delhi and Jammu. During push back, the right wing trailing edge came in close contact with a pole, causing damage to aileron. A replacement aircraft was arranged to operate the flight,” the spokesperson said.

An airport official said that as the aileron had been damaged, it was unsafe to travel and had to be inspected. “As with any incident, fire and other emergency officials were rushed to the spot, but all passengers were safe and sustained no injury,” the official said.

Arun Kumar, DGCA director general, said that all the airline employees involved in the incident — both pilots, the AME, wing walkers and push back operators — have been de-rostered. He also confirmed that a breath analyser test of the employees came back negative.

“Officers from the Director Air Safety (DAS) of the northern region have visited the site for further investigations,” Kumar said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jasjeev Gandhiok
Jasjeev Gandhiok is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times, where he covers environment, climate change, the clean energy transition and wildlife at the National Bureau. Gandhiok has over a decade of experience in journalism and is based in Delhi. He has reported extensively on Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the region's air pollution woes, a polluted Yamuna and on urban wildlife still thriving in the region. He joined HT in October 2021. Prior to that, he had five-year stint at The Times of India in Delhi, where he also covered Delhi, with a focus on environment and wildlife. Gandhiok has covered some recent events around the Capital too, ranging from the farmers' protests, the northeast Delhi riots and the CAA-NRC protests, reporting from the ground on all of these. He also travels across the country to report on how environment and climate change impact everyday life, while also writing on endangered species. His reports in 2019 on toxic leachate from Delhi's landfills led to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) taking suo motu cognisance and ultimately asking the state government to start bio-mining to flatten and remove all three landfills in the capital. He also closely tracks the implementation of government policies on climate, renewable energy and environmental protection. His focus remains on impactful, public-interest journalism which explains how environmental decisions affect people's everyday lives.Read More