Tuesday, February 28, 2017

`Forgetful' engineers put Air India plane in peril, grounded

Two Air India engineers were grounded on Monday as they reportedly "forgot" to remove pins from landing gear - which ensure that wheels of an aircraft on ground do not accidentally retract - while clearing a plane to take off. Due to this, the pilots could not retract the wheels on getting airborne and had to return soon after take off.
This unprecedented lapse took place on Monday when an AI aircraft was being prepared at Delhi for flying to Kochi. "The plane was cleared to take off by engineering and when the wheels did not retract once in air, the pilots had to return to Delhi on an urgent basis. Delhi air traffic control ensured that the plane returned without any delay once the pilot indicate that he had to turn back," said a source.
On landing, the aircraft was examined and the pins were found attached to the landing gear. The same were removed and the plane then took off again for Kochi after a detailed examination. The airline informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of this lapse and the regulator immediately grounded two aircraft maintenance engineers (AME) who had cleared the plane for take off.
Confirming this, a senior AI official said, "The landing gear pins were not removed due to which the aircraft had to turn back. DGCA has derostered the shift in-charge and the engineer who cleared the plane for take off and we are also investigating this issue. It was a slip by the engineers who were busy on something else and forgot to remove the pins on the landing gear."
When landing gear is extended on ground, some pins are put on them - similar to putting a brick behind wheels of a car parked on a slope to ensure it does to go down - to prevent the wheels from accidentally folding up. Just before departures these pins are removed.
28/02/17 Saurabh Sinha/The Times Of India
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