SpiceJet flight caught fire due to bird hit, left engine stopped mid-air: DGCA statement

Hours after the Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight made an emergency landing at the Jayaprakash Narayan Airport in Patna after detecting a fire on Sunday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now issued a statement regarding the incident, revealing the cause of the fire. As per the statement, the flight had to return after it was hit by a bird, after which, one of the engines stopped working mid-air, prompting the flight to return back. 

However, the flight landed safely and all the passengers were evacuated safely. The flight took off in the morning and at around 12:10 PM, the authorities noticed that its left engine had caught fire. While the authorities were immediately informed, the plane had to return back to Patna airport with all the 185 passengers on board. 

Later, while speaking to the media, Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh informed that ambulances have been deployed and the cause of the fire will be investigated and revealed at the earliest. 

"The people of Phulwari Sharif saw it and called the district administration. Then the pilot also got to know. Their fire extinguisher got activated. Then, they landed the plane. The flight landed safely. All passengers are safe. They have disembarked. The agencies will give further details. The fire was limited. Two blades of the left engine have been twisted. The fire broke out there. 185 passengers were on the plane", he said. 

Notably, incidents of bird hits have been rising despite making several attempts to keep birds away from flight routes. In cases of bird strikes on runways, it prompts the aircraft to apply emergency brakes, while on the other hand, planes have to opt for an emergency landing in case it is in the air. 

Image: PTI