New Delhi:
In a freak accident, a SpiceJet technician lost his life after he got stuck into the plane’s landing gear door at Kolkata’s Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at around 1 am on Wednesday. According to news agency ANI, the technician was doing the aircraft’s regular maintenance work, when the accident took place. According to DNA report, his body was cut into pieces and was removed from landing gear with the help of the Fire brigade team. A Times of India report has identified the SpiceJet technician as one Roihit Pandey. The airline has so far not issued any statement over the freak accident.
SpiceJet is experiencing turbulence in recent times. On July 4, the aviation watchdog DGCA had issued show-cause notices to senior SpiceJet executives. The show cause notices by DGCA were issued after a special audit team of the aviation regulator, which probed multiple landing incidents involving the airline, found lapses on their part, according to sources privy to the development. "The audit team of the DGCA went to audit the airline on July 3. They have given a report stating that four persons -- Chief of Flight Safety, Chief of Operations, Chief of Training and Accountable Executive -- have been found to be breaching safety standards," a source told PTI. The show cause notices, which PTI has accessed, were issued to G P Gupta, Accountable Executive; Capt. GPS Grewal, Chief of Flight Safety; Capt. SPS Suri, Senior Vice President - Operations; Capt. Vishal Sawhney, Head of Training.
The no-frills airline has around 11.1 per cent of market share in India’s aviation sector. SpiceJet operates a fleet of Boeing and Bombardier Q-400s. On fleet, the official website of SpiceJet said that, “The new-generation Boeing 737-700s, 737-800s and 737-900ERs with winglets have been a conscious choice. These aircraft allow for safe, comfortable and efficient flying and are ideally suited for short to medium-haul flights typical of Indian conditions. Bombardier Q400s, designed for short haul routes are known for their superlative fuel efficiency and comfort. These aircraft are the most technologically advanced turboprop airliners and are the next step in the continuing evolution of Indian aviation.” The airline operates 575 average daily flights to 62 destinations - 53 domestic and nine international.
SpiceJet had placed a $22 billion order for 205 aircraft planes with Boeing in 2015 and had followed it up with a $1.7 billion order for 50 Bombardier Q400 planes, a media report said.
In 2015, an Air India technician died after getting sucked into the engine of Air India flight 619 in the bay of T2 Terminal at Mumbai airport. The employee was identified as Ravi Subramaniam.
(With agency inputs)
