A SpiceJet plane enroute to Nepal's capital Kathmandu faced a suspected tailpipe fire while it was taxiing at the Delhi Airport on Thursday, prompting the flight's return to the bay. The fire on the tailpipe was spotted by another aircraft, as per the airline.
According to the airline, no abnormalities were found on the aircraft during detailed engineering checks.
"On September 11, 2025, a SpiceJet aircraft scheduled to operate from Delhi to Kathmandu returned to bay after another aircraft on the ground reported a suspected tailpipe fire. No warnings or indications were observed in the cockpit, but the pilots decided to return as a precautionary safety measure," the airline said in a statement, according to a PTI news agency report.
The flight, a Boeing 737-8 aircraft, was grounded.
The flight, SG041, faced a delay of over four hours before it was about to take off, the report said citing sources. It was supposed to depart in the morning.
What is a tailpipe fire?
A tail pipe fire typically occurs during ground engine start or shutdown and results from an excess of fuel in the combustion chamber or in the turbine area, according to Airbus' safety manual. Consequently, this is an event that may occur on ground only during engine start or shutdown sequence.
{{/usCountry}}A tail pipe fire typically occurs during ground engine start or shutdown and results from an excess of fuel in the combustion chamber or in the turbine area, according to Airbus' safety manual. Consequently, this is an event that may occur on ground only during engine start or shutdown sequence.
{{/usCountry}}According to the manual, which is written by Michel Palomeque, a flight safety advisor, a tailpipe fire usually burns within the engine core, that is the combustion chamber and the turbine race. “It mainly affects the turbine area which is not a sensitive part of the engine with regards to the fire protection. Thus, the turbine area is not fitted with fire detectors,” it said.
“Consequently, a tail pipe (an internal) fire will not be detected by the fire detectors fitted in the nacelle compartment (for external fire detection) and will not result in the triggering of the engine fire warning,” it added.
Since a tailpipe fire typically occurs at engine start or shutdown, the crew is mainly made aware of a tail pipe fire by a visual report from either ground crew, cabin crew or tower, said the manual.