SpiceJet smoke in cabin incident: DGCA asks Indian airline to analyse engine oil samples of Q400 fleet

The aviation watchdog DGCA ordered SpiceJet on Monday to analyse engine oil samples from its Q400 fleet in order to check for the presence of metal and carbon seal particles, days after smoke was discovered inside a SpiceJet aircraft. Additionally, the watchdog has mandated that the carrier examine the bleed-off valve screen and casing for signs of oil dampness. On October 12, a SpiceJet flight from Goa had to make an emergency landing at the airport in Hyderabad due to cabin smoke.

In a statement on Monday, DGCA said it is investigating the incident, and based on the preliminary investigation, there was evidence of engine oil in the engine bleed-off valve. This led to the oil entering the aircraft's air conditioning system, which 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. "DGCA is keeping a close watch on the situation and shall take all appropriate action to avert any untoward incident," the statement said.

Meanwhile, the videos of the incident shared by the passengers on the flight are going viral on the internet. A few photos and videos of the passengers on the SpiceJet flight on the day of the incident show the passengers sitting in the smoke-filled cabin.

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Moreover, the passenger who shared the video on Twitter claimed that the oxygen masks in the plane didn't deploy even after the cabin was full of smoke. In the video, the passengers can be seen sitting with their heads down while the alarm in the background keeps on blaring. Based on earlier reports, there were 86 passengers onboard the SpiceJet aircraft. Furthermore, around 9 flights were diverted that night because of the incident.

With inputs from PTI