NEW DELHI: An engine of a grounded SpiceJet Q400 plane caught fire at the Delhi airport on Tuesday evening, and the aircraft and maintenance personnel are safe, according to officials.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said a fire warning was observed in an engine of the Q400 aircraft that was under maintenance, and the fire extinguisher was discharged.
The spokesperson also added that as a precaution, the fire brigade was called and that the aircraft and maintenance personnel are safe.
An official at the airport said that around 8 pm, the fire was reported in one of the engines of the grounded aircraft, and later the fire was extinguished.
"On July 25, SpiceJet Q400 aircraft under maintenance, while carrying out engine ground run at idle power at bay, the AME observed fire warning on #1 engine," the airline spokesperson said in a statement.
Q400 is a turbo-prop aircraft.
As per the airline's website, it has Q400s that can accommodate 78 passengers and 90 passengers.
Aviation regulator DGCA removes SpiceJet from its enhanced surveillance regime
Earlier in the day, aviation regulator DGCA said it has taken off SpiceJet from its enhanced surveillance regime.
The airline, which has been facing multiple headwinds, was placed under enhanced surveillance recently.
The senior DGCA official said that in view of the observations made in the past concerning inadequate maintenance and in view of the incidents during the monsoon season last year, SpiceJet was placed under enhanced surveillance.
"Accordingly 51 spot checks were conducted across 11 locations pan India, on the Boeing 737 and Bombardier DHC Q-400 fleet of aircraft, where in a total 23 aircraft were inspected and 95 observations were made by the DGCA teams," the official said.
The findings were of routine nature and were not considered significant by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
"Suitable maintenance action was taken by the airline to address the findings in accordance with DGCA guidelines.
As a consequence, SpiceJet has been taken off the enhanced surveillance regime by DGCA," the official said.
On July 11, PTI had reported about DGCA placing SpiceJet under the enhanced surveillance regime and on that day, the airline refuted any such development.
When contacted, a SpiceJet spokesperson had said, "the information is absolutely incorrect and is strongly denied".
No such communication has been received by the airline from the DGCA, the spokesperson had said in a statement on July 11.
