DGCA fines SpiceJet Rs 10 lakh for training pilots on faulty simulator

This is the third time that the regulator has imposed a financial penalty on operators for violation of rules after being empowered to do so

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday imposed a Rs 10-lakh fine on SpiceJet for training 737 Max aircraft’s pilots on a faulty simulator.

Earlier, the DGCA had barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying B737 Max aircraft. The pilots will have to be retrained, the regulator had ordered.

“Training being imparted by SpiceJet could have adversely affected flight safety and was nullified,” the regulator said.

This happened within eight months of the DGCA lifting a ban on Boeing 737 Max aircraft. While it was grounded worldwide from March 2019 to December 2020 following two crashes — in Indonesia and Ethiopia — killing 346, DGCA lifted the ban much later in August last year.

The faults were detected during a surveillance check by the regulator at the Greater Noida-based facility of CAE Simulation Training Pvt Ltd (CSTPL).

Scheduled surveillance checks and surprise audits are regularly done by the regulator.

These are to find inefficiencies in the safety system of airlines, airports, flying training organisations and simulators and implement corrective measures.

During such a check, the DGCA surveillance team found that the stick shaker of the simulator was non-functional. Stick shaker is an instrument, which vibrates rapidly when the aircraft is stalling and failing to lift itself.

Only CSTPL has approved 737 Max simulators in India. This was installed by Boeing as DGCA and SpiceJet both demanded a simulator to be set up in India.

This is the third instance when DGCA has imposed financial penalty on operators after the regulator got power to impose financial penalty for violation of rules.

Last year, the Rajya Sabha cleared the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which proposes to increase the penalty for lapses and violations of airline norms from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore and a jail term of up to two years.

The offences include carrying arms, explosives, or other dangerous goods aboard an aircraft. They also include contravening any rules notified under the Act, and constructing buildings or structures within the specified radius around an aerodrome reference point.

Last year, the DGCA had levied a financial penalty of Rs 75,000 on two flight training schools for irregular maintenance of breath analyser equipment.

In the second such case on Sunday, it imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on IndiGo for not allowing a boy with special needs to board a flight from Ranchi.

DGCA suspends air traffic controller

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended an air traffic controller and issued a warning letter to ATC tower supervisor following its probe into a near collision incident involving two IndiGo aircraft in Bengaluru. The incident took place on January 7.

Two aircraft (headed to Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar) were given simultaneous take off clearance resulting in breach of standard separation limits.

The occurrence has been classified as a serious incident and is being investigated by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.