Snag-hit flight lands on one engine

Other Engine Shut Due To Overheating; Full Emergency At Airport

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Dec 20, 2009:

Chennai: Chennai airport was put on ‘full emergency’ after a Coimbatore-Chennai SpiceJet flight (SG 282) with 121 passengers onboard had to shut down one of its engines following overheating while nearing the city.
The Boeing 737 aircraft that developed trouble on its left engine made a safe landing with a single engine at 11.25 am, said an airport official. All commercial aircraft are capable of flying with a single engine. But pilots land the aircraft at the nearest airport as a safety measure.
The Airports Authority of India did not want to take a chance when the pilot radioed about the condition of the engine. “We declared an emergency. Crashtenders were positioned by the side of the runway and a medical team was kept ready,” said an official.
As per rules, crashtenders that were positioned by the side of the runway near the touchdown point followed the aircraft till it came to a standstill. After checks with the pilot, the aircraft was allowed to taxi to the bay to offload passengers.
“It seems that a generator had failed leading to overheating. As a precaution, the pilot shutdown the engine and informed the air traffic control here about the situation. As the aircraft’s hydraulic system that controlled the wheels were functioning well, there was no need for using foam on the runway,” he added.
The actual cause for overheating can be determined only after engineers inspect the aircraft. An inquiry will be carried out to pinpoint the reason for the snag. “If an engine overheats, we normally shut it down to prevent fire. This is done when the warning light keeps glowing for a stipulated time inside the cockpit. Though an aircraft can fly on a single engine at a lower altitude, an emergency will be declared so that the aircraft will get priority and can land at the nearest airport,” said a pilot.
He said that “this is not a danger situation because a computer onboard will instruct the pilot about the speed and altitude the flights should follow when one engine is not available. If the aircraft is flying at a cruising altitude, it has to descend considerably.”
Besides, pilots are also trained to handle such situations. Pilots practise single engine operations in three scenarios — during take off, approach for landing and also cruising.
An official of SpiceJet said that the flight made a smooth landing and that there was no danger. A full emergency was declared at the airport in August this year when an Air India aircraft from Singapore landed with a burst tyre, with 141 passengers on board.
A SAFE TOUCHDOWN
The SpiceJet pilot shuts down overheated left engine to prevent it from catching fire
Airport put on full emergency to receive the snag-hit aircraft
Aircraft lands safely Most commercial aircraft are capable of flying on single engine
An emergency at the airport is declared to give priority to stricken aircraft by air traffic controllers