Aviation watchdog’s report points to lapses in July 9 SpiceJet mishap

The aircraft that Rohit Pandey was working on had completed a Kolkata-Silchar flight. It had taxied out at 3.35pm and returned to the bay at 3.55pm owing to a snag.

Rohit Pandey, a 22-year-old city-based trainee engineer for SpiceJet who died while working on an aircraft in Kolkata airport on July 9, was not given proper training and was working on the aircraft without the supervision of a trained or a licensed engineer, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in its report on Friday.

Rohit Pandey had to be taken out after cutting the doors. The report said the landing gear door didn’t have a pin, which may have prevented it from retracting.

The aircraft that Pandey was working on had completed a Kolkata-Silchar flight. It had taxied out at 3.35pm and returned to the bay at 3.55pm owing to a snag. As rectification could not be completed by aircraft maintenance engineers in day shift, the engineers worked in the night shift. The engineers, while attending to another snag on the same aircraft, pressurized the aircraft hydraulic systems to check the movement of flaps and spoilers. The landing gear door to the right closed, trapping Pandey, who was carrying out layover inspection near the forward door.

Pandey had to be taken out after cutting the doors. The report said the landing gear door didn’t have a pin, which may have prevented it from retracting.