Spicejet aircraft returns to Mumbai due to mechanical failure

A Delhi-bound Spicejet aircraft with 202 passengers onboard had to return to Mumbai airport following a pressurisation failure. The flight SG 114 which took off from Mumbai at 1142 had to return to Mumbai at 1240 because of a mechanical problem and its passengers have been deplaned. "SG 114 did an air turn back on account of a mechanical issue that constrained the pilot to bring the flight back to Mumbai. This was done for the safety of the passengers," a Spicejet spokesperson said in a statement. "Alternative arrangements are being made for the passengers to help them reach their destination," the spokesperson added.

Indian Air Force grounds its Su30 fighter aircraft fleet

The country's entire Sukhoi-30MKI fleet has been grounded for "precautionary checks" after one of these "air dominance" fighter jets crashed in Rajasthan on Monday. IAF has sought the help of Russia and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to investigate the crash. The two pilots, Wing Commander Srivastava and Flight Lieutenant Arora, had ejected from the Russian-origin fighter while taking part in fire-power exercises at Pokhran after fire alarms went off in the cockpit around 5.30 pm. "Preliminary indications are that it was caused due to a technical defect. The pilots ejected after they saw fire alarm buttons glowing red... Probably the engines were on fire," said a source. "The airframe and systems of the entire fleet will undergo a thorough inspection before they are allowed to take to the skies again," he added.

IAF is already in touch with experts from Russia, with the Sukhois still being under contractual warrantee, as well as HAL, which had "manufactured/assembled" the fighter indigenously, to help in the court of inquiry ordered to investigate the exact reason behind the crash. Even the earlier Sukhoi crash of April 30 is primarily attributed to technical defects, with "some'' design problems and system malfunctions playing a role in the mishap. Defence minister A K Antony, in fact, had held that the April 30 crash was due to "a likely failure of the fly-by-wire system". The Sukhoi fleet had then been grounded for around three weeks. IAF has inducted 105 of the 230 twin-seater Sukhois primarily based in Pune and Bareilly at present contracted from Russia in three deals worth upwards of $8.5 billion.

With both China and Pakistan bolstering their air combat fleets, IAF has asked the government for another 50 Sukhois each of which would cost around $45 million to cater for any contingency on both the eastern and western fronts. HAL, in fact, has been directed to end the production of 140 of the original 230 jets under transfer of technology by 2015, instead of the originally scheduled 2017-2018. With the Sukhois being the latest and most potent fighter in India's combat fleet, IAF already earmarked airbases like Tezpur and Chabua in Assam, Halwara (Punjab) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) as the new airbases to house two Sukhoi squadrons each. Earlier this year, the first four Sukhois were deployed in Tezpur to kickstart the entire process.