Fuselage door warning lit up on two separate SpiceJet flights; DGCA begins probe

There have been a total of four incidents on SpiceJet flights during the last one week and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating all the four incidents

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Fuselage door warnings lit up on two separate Spicejet planes while taking off on Friday and Saturday, forcing the aircrafts to abandon their journeys and return, said officials of Indian aviation regulator DGCA, which ordered a probe into the incidents. There have been a total of four incidents -- including the aforementioned two -- on SpiceJet flights during the last one week. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating all the four incidents, officials stated. Fuselage is the central body of the aircraft where passengers and crew members sit.

On June 19, an engine on 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 SpiceJet flight for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressurisation issues.

Officials said on Friday (June 24), the fuselage warning light on a SpiceJet Q400 plane illuminated when it was on 'rotation' -- when pilots pitched the nose of the aircraft up to climb in the air during take off.

The pilots of the Q400 aircraft, which was heading from Guwahati to Kolkata, found that the warning was coming from the baggage door at the rear end of the plane, the officials said. The Q400 plane was levelled off at 5,000 feet and the pilots decided to return to Guwahati, the officials noted.

An incident similar to the Friday one took place on SpiceJet's Patna-Guwhati flight on Saturday (June 25). A SpiceJet Q400 aircraft stopped its take-off roll at the Patna airport on Saturday after the plane's fuselage door warning light lit up, officials noted.

In this case too, it was found that the warning had come from the baggage door at the rear end of the aircraft, they said. The Q400 plane returned to the parking bay of the Patna airport after cancelling its take off, officials noted.

Regarding the Friday incident, SpiceJet said that "Q400 aircraft was operating flight SG-4126, sector Guwahati-Kolkata". At rotation, fuselage door warning light illuminated and take-off was continued. Subsequently aircraft was levelled off at 5,000 feet and pilot-in-command decided to return back to Guwahati," it mentioned.

Air turn back was initiated in coordination with ATC (air traffic controller) and aircraft landed safely at Guwahati, it said. Regarding the Saturday incident, the airline said, "SpiceJet Q400 aircraft was operating flight SG-3724, sector Patna-Guwahati. During takeoff roll, fuselage door warning light illuminated. Subsequently, the take-off was rejected and aircraft returned to bay."