Shirdi runway excursion: DGCA suspends SpiceJet pilot's licence for a year

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the flying licence of the pilot-in-command of SpiceJet’s Delhi-Shirdi flight which had skidded off the runway on landing at the destination earlier this year. The regulator’s preliminary probe into that serious incident has found that the Boeing 737 (VT-SGJ) operating as SG-946 on April 29, 2019, had unstabilised final approach and touched late leading to the runway excursion.

“During final (approach), the aircraft was high on approach. Crew did a long flare and aircraft touched down about 5,300 feet from runway threshold (usable part of the runway)…. Resulted in runway excursion,” says an order issued by joint DG B S Rai.

The regulator had issued a show cause notice to the captain of this flight “for endangering safety of aircraft and passengers on board.” After examining his reply, the DGCA suspended his licence for a year from the date of the incident.