New Delhi: Two SpiceJet pilots were suspended for three months Thursday by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a runway incursion incident in August.
The pilots, who were commanding SpiceJet flight SEJ 8723 from Delhi to Mumbai on 27 August, were issued showcause notices last month.
The DGCA, in an order released Thursday, said the pilots — Captain Bhushan Nanda and Captain Trishla Chandola — had admitted their lapses in a reply to the showcause notice.
A DGCA investigation had revealed that the tower controller had given taxi instructions to SEJ 8723 to hold at holding point RWY 10 and the crew of the SpiceJet flight had confirmed compliance. However, the flight crossed the holding point, which had led to a runway incursion at Delhi’s IGI airport.
On 18 September the DGCA ordered showcause notices asking Nanda and Chandola to explain in writing why action should not be taken against them for endangering the safety of the aircraft and the passengers on board.
“The reply was examined. Both of them admitted their lapses that they crossed the holding point. This is in violation of DGCA advisory council,” a DGCA official said.
According to the advisory council, flight crews should use the continuous loop process to monitor and update their progress and location during taxi.
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