Social Icons

twitterfacebooklinkedin

Saturday, 9 April 2016

Indian Aviation Authority Orders Probe Into Upkeep of AI's Aging Airbus Fleet

Nearly three weeks after an Air India (AI) flight's tyre burst on touchdown at Mumbai airport, forcing the emergency evacuation of 160 passengers, the the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked the airline to send a report on the upkeep of its Classic Airbus fleet -- the oldest in the airline. After the incident on March 15, Hindustan Times had reported that VT-ESL, the aircraft involved in the safety scare, belonged to the fleet which is more than two decades old.


Sources from the aviation safety regulator said the brake fan -- a crucial aircraft component that protects the plane's brakes from overheating -- was not fully functional in last month's incident. "We have ordered a fast-track inquiry on the serviceability of brake fan. The reports are awaited," said a senior DGCA official requesting anonymity.

More than two dozen passengers on board this AI flight had to see the airport doctor with complaints of stiff back and a few others had been bruised while sliding off the inflated escape chutes.

Mumbai airport staffers had reported a thick cloud of oil fumes and sparks coming off the landing gear of the aircraft that had joined the AI fleet in 1994.
To Read the News in Full 07/04/16 Soubhik Mitra/Mcclathcy/AviationPros
VT SCL Airbus A319 112  cn 3551  Air India   14028440308  570666c816ba6


No comments:

Post a Comment