Smoke in cabin: DGCA asks SpiceJet to send oil samples to Canada

After smoke was detected in the cabin of a SpiceJet plane last week, aviation regulator DGCA on Monday (October 17) directed the airline to send engine oil samples from its Q400 fleet to Canada every 15 days to check for the presence of metal and carbon seal particles.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also ordered the carrier to carry out an inspection of the bleed-off valve screen and housing for evidence of oil wetness.

On October 12, a SpiceJet plane coming from Goa made an emergency landing at Hyderabad airport following an incident of smoke in the cabin. All passengers were safely evacuated.

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A Hyderabad airport official said there were 86 passengers onboard the Q400 aircraft VT-SQB and that due to the emergency landing, as many as nine flights were diverted on Wednesday night after the incident at around 11 pm.

In a statement, DGCA said it is investigating the incident and based on the preliminary investigation, there was evidence of engine oil in engine bleed-off valve. This led to the oil entering the aircraft air conditioning system that resulted in smoke in the cabin.

The aircraft involved was Q400 and the airline has a fleet of 14 such operational planes.

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The watchdog said SpiceJet has also been directed not to send any engine to Standard Aero-Singapore till the investigation is complete.

“Engine oil samples to be periodically drawn every 15 days instead of presently 30 days and sent to Pratt & Whitney Canada for PW150A oil analysis technology to ascertain presence of metal and carbon seal particles,” DGCA said.

“One time boroscopic inspection of all operational engines within one week and completion of all the boroscopic inspection on 3 engines which have been received from Standard Aero, Singapore by tonight,” it added.

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“DGCA is keeping a close watch on the situation and shall take all appropriate action to avert any untoward incident,” the statement said.

In July, DGCA had ordered SpiceJet to operate a maximum 50% of its flights, which were approved for summer schedule, for a period of eight weeks.

On July 6, the aviation regulator issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet following at least eight incidents of technical malfunction in its aircraft since June 19.

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