DGCA slaps fine on SpiceJet for faulty training of its Boeing 737 Max pilots
Simulator training is a part of a pilot's professional life all along, especially
as the aircraft's model changes. It is not known what type of simulator
training the Spicejet's Max pilots received and how. Boeing 737 Max's
technical glitches had led to a series of air tragedies in the recent past,
necessitating modifications in the model.
NEW DELHI, May 31: The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed
a fine of Rs 10 lakh on SpiceJet airline for training its Boeing 737 Max aircraft's
pilots on a faulty flight simulator that potentially compromised flight safety.
Boeing 737 Max was grounded by its US manufacturer recently after a seies of
unexplained crashes killing several hundreds of people. A fully automated Max
provided little scope for pilot intervention when the tech failed. The model
has since been reportedly rectified by the company in new production and the
DGCA has given the green signal to Indian airlines to fly the modified Max.
What is simulation? Simulation is an imitation of the real world flight
operation of a specified aircraft. The model or simulator represents the flying
system and the simulation is a representation of the operation. A pilot on simulator
training has to sit in the flight simulator for hours and train for every situation
possible like bird hits, bad weather and engine failures as they are recreated.
Simulator training is a part of a pilot's profesional life all through. There
are different types of training devices depending on the models of aircraft
and the company. It is not known what type of simulator training the Spicejet's
Max pilots received.
The DGCA action followed the airline's unsatisfactory explanation to the aviation
regulator's show-cause notice over faulty training to its pilots. The DGCA had
last month found 90 SpiceJet pilots not properly trained and issued the show-cause
after barring them from operating the Max aircraft.
Cracks on windshield, flight aborted
MUMBAI: A SpiceJet flight from Mumbai to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh
was forced to return to Mumbai airport last Saturday when the pilot detected cracks
in the windshield, posing a potential threat to the passengers' life.
Cracks on a windshield would widen as the flight progresses, leading to a crash.
"On May 28, SpiceJet Boeing 737 aircraft was scheduled to operate SG-385 (Mumbai-Gorakhpur).
During cruise, windshield of outer pane was observed to be cracked," the airlines
said.
IndiGo fined for denying flight to specially abled child
NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator DGCA on Saturday imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh
on IndiGo airline for denying boarding to a specially abled child at Ranchi
airport on May 7. After the boy was stopped, his parents also could not take
the flight.
However, IndiGo later clarified the episode stating on May 9 that the boy was
denied permission to board the Ranchi-Hyderabad flight as he was "visibly in
panic".
Reacting to the DGCA action of imposing of fine, airline CEO Ronojoy Dutta
has said that IndiGo will conduct an internal case study on how to better handle
passengers with disabilities and special needs, especially when they are feeling
distressed, in order to avoid such incidents in future.
Air traffic controller suspended for 'breach of separation'
NEW DELHI: In line with aviation safety rules, the DGCA has suspended the air
traffic controller who was found responsible for two IndiGo flights taking off
simultaneously in same direction and their coming close to each other posing
the threat of a mid-air collision in a recent incident at Bengaluru airport
on January 7.
The two IndiGo flights - 6E455 (Bengaluru to Kolkata) and 6E246 (Bengaluru
to Bhubaneswar) - averted a mid-air collision through what is called a "breach
of separation", over the Bengaluru airport. "Breach of separation" is when two
aircraft cross the minimum mandatory vertical or horizontal distance.
In aviation, "separation" is the concept of keeping an aircraft outside of
a minimum distance from another aircraft to prevent collission and also keep
safety in case of wake turbulence.
In a statement on Monday, the DGCA said, "South tower controller gave departure
to 6E455 in coordination with Approach Radar controller and at the same time
North tower controller gave departure to 6E246 without prior coordination with
south tower controller and Approach Radar controller."
"At the closest point of conflict, the vertical and lateral separation between
both aircraft was 100 feet (Standard 1000ft) and 0.9 NM (Standard 3NM)," it
said.
NEW DELHI: Five flights were diverted and 70 others delayed at Delhi airport
due to a thunderstorm on Monday. Heavy rains accompanied by storm paralysed
life in the National Capital Region, uprooting trees and disrupting vehicular
traffic, and the chaotic situation continued into Tuesday.
“Raindrops and thunderstorms in Delhi may impact our flight operations. Please
keep enough travel time in hand to avoid any hassle. Keep a check on your flight
status. For any assistance, DM us on Twitter/Facebook,” read a IndiGo's advisory
The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.
A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924)
(Today's headlines )
Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...
Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.
ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!
What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).
In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.
THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.
The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.
Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See:
New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)
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