BENGALURU: The final inquiry report into an ‘air turn’ incident at the Kempegowda International airport of a Jet Airways flight from Bengaluru to Mangaluru in June 2016 due to smoke has pinpointed lapses by the airliner in carrying out inspection on power turbine blades, as the probable reason behind the incident. Three passengers sustained minor injuries when those on board were evacuated after an emergency landing.
The Director General of Civil Aviation last week made public its inquiry into the episode that was classified as a ‘serious incident’ as per the Aircraft (Investigation of Accident and Incidents) Rules 2012. The inquiry committee set up by the Civil Aviation Ministry included Jasbir Singh Largha, Assistant Director of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) as Chairman and Dinesh Kumar of AAIB as its member.
These details of the incident were elaborated in the report. Flight 9W-2839 with 67 passengers and 4 crew on board took off from Bengaluru on June 15. Immediately after takeoff, at an altitude of about 4,500 feet, a master caution warning was triggered. The crew looked up the readings on the panels, checked all operating parameters and since everything looked normal, they continued with the ascent.
However, after reaching a height of around 6,000 feet, the crew got a call from the cabin crew in-charge about smoke inside the passenger cabin. Passengers were immediately given wet tissues and asked to go in for protective breathing system over the Public Address System.
The aircraft had a valid certificate of airworthiness and the maintenance schedule was adhered to. However, the Eddy Current Testing (inspection of thin metal for potential safety issues) later incorporated into the Engine Maintenance Manual was not carried out, the report pointed out.
“The probable cause of the smoke in cabin was contamination of bleed air by engine oil due to failure of the air/oil seals of turbine shaft bearings and impeller bearings,” it said.