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Indian aviation regulator DGCA has asked SpiceJet to retrain 90 of its first officers as it found faults that the simulator where the pilots were training.
DGCA had lifted a ban on Boeing 737 Max aircraft in August, two and half years after the planes were grounded following two crashes around the world that killed 346 people.
The faults were found during a surveillance check by the regulator on the Greater Noida-based facility of CAE Simulation Training Pvt Ltd (CSTPL) which is a joint venture between IndiGo promoter Rahul Bhatia’s Interglobe Enterprise and Canada-based flight simulator company CAE.
CSTPL has the only approved 737 Max simulator in India which was installed by Boeing as part of a compensation package it provided to SpiceJet due to the business loss caused by the two year grounding of the aircraft.
Scheduled surveillance checks and surprise audits are regularly done by the regulator to find inefficiencies in the safety system of airlines, airports, flying training organisations, simulators to find deficiencies and implement corrective measures.
During such a check, the DGCA surveillance team found that the stick shaker of the simulator was non-functional. Stick shaker is an instrument which vibrates rapidly when the aircraft is stalling, failing to lift itself.
The computer compares the current signal against a default value that indicates safe flight. If the sensor signal exceeds that value, it vibrates rapidly enough in fact to make the pilot’s hands shake to gain his attention.
Sources said that while the stick shaker was functional for the commander’s side, the one on the side of the co-pilot (first officer) developed a fault and was non-functional.
The system was dysfunctional since 17 March due to a faulty component which CSTPL imports from abroad. Hence, all co-pilots who have done simulator training will have to undergo the extra two hours of training once again.
“For the moment, we have barred these pilots from flying Max and they have to retrain successfully for flying Max,” DGCA chief Arun Kumar said.
The regulator is also mulling action against head of training of the airline and has called for a report from both the airline and the simulator operator.
According to norms, the simulator lists the dysfunctional items clearly so that when the crew enters the sim they are aware what is not functional and if it does impact training. “According to laid down regulations of the manual and trainer’s instruction, they can decide whether it is suitable to undergo training in the simulator or not,” an executive of a company which owns simulator said.
Sources said that SpiceJet in its communication pointed out that the Boeing manual which was rewritten during the return-to-service of the 737 Max notes that for co-pilots training on the stick shaker is “demonstration only” which means it needn’t be performed by the pilot during his training sessions.
However, the regulator disagreed with SpiceJet’s reasoning noting that it was critical as the software system developed by Boeing called The Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) to prevent stall of the aircraft was found to be the primary reasons by investigators behind the Lion Air and Ethiopian crash. A faulty sensor caused an automatic anti-stall system to kick in erroneously, forcing the aeroplane’s nose downwards.
The difference in opinion stems from the contrasting requirement that the European regulator EASA and US regulator FAA defined in their while clearing the 737 Max fit to fly.
Among the key differences was the importance of the stick shaker that EASA stressed. EASA service manual allowed the pilots to switch off the stick shaker and prevent it from vibrating if the flight system on board has activated it erroneously. In contrast, FAA didn’t allow it, fearing that it would divert pilots’ attention.
“DGCA has considered EASA’s procedures as more robust and has stressed that Indian operators of the 737 Max follow it,” an official said.
SpiceJet which has 13 737 Max aircraft and is currently operating 11 said that DGCA’s actions will not impact their operations as it has enough pilots trained on the Max.
“SpiceJet has 650 pilots trained on Boeing 737 MAX. DGCA had an observation on the training profile followed for 90 Pilots, and therefore as per the advice of DGCA, SpiceJet has restricted 90 pilots from operating MAX aircraft, until these pilots undergo re-training to the satisfaction of DGCA. These pilots continue to remain available for other Boeing 737 aircraft,” a spokesperson of the airline said.
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