Smoke forces SpiceJet flight to return

New Delhi, July 2

SpiceJet flight SG-2962 heading to Jabalpur returned to Delhi on Saturday after crew members observed smoke in the cabin at an altitude of around 5,000 feet.

There was oil leakage in one of the engines of the Q400 aircraft and that was the likely reason for smoke in the plane, officials of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said after preliminary investigation. It is not clear how many passengers were on board the flight. This is the fifth incident involving a SpiceJet aircraft in two weeks. The DGCA is investigating all five incidents.

On June 19, an engine of SpiceJet’s Delhi-bound aircraft carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after taking off from the Patna airport and the plane made an emergency landing minutes later. The engine malfunctioned because of a bird hit.

In another incident on June 19, a flight for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressurisation issues. Fuselage door warnings lit up on two separate planes while taking off on June 24 and June 25, forcing them to cut short their journeys and return. — TNS

5th incident involving airline in a fortnight

• June 19: Engine of Delhi-Patna flight catches fire, 185 passengers aboard
• June 19: Jabalpur flight returns to Delhi due to cabin pressure issues
• June 24, 25: Fuselage door warnings light up two planes while taking off