Aviation

IndiGo passengers stranded on tarmac for 7 hours for non-availability of crew

According to Economic times, Delhi-Bengaluru flight was stationed at the Delhi airport tarmac for more than 7 hours until early Monday morning due to non-availability of the crew, with passengers kept waiting in the shuttle, and then inside the plane or sitting on the tarmac.

Problem is @IndiGo6E has grown bigger than shoes n their attitude is of terrorists mindset, keep harassing people n top of that demands money for everything, protected by Govt. Indigo passengers stranded on tarmac for 7 hours for non-availability of crew https://t.co/cKvH3WKhxc

— UD (@udaymishra007) May 14, 2018

‏ @khabri_lal

” Parents faced something similar during the last storm. Problem is lack of information & truthful info. IndiGo: IndiGo passengers stranded on tarmac for 7 hours for non-availability of crew “

The flight 6E 2977 was supposed to take off at 10:40 pm. Angry passengers flooded Twitter with posts accusing the airline of shoddy service. Some photographs showed sleepless, harrowed passengers seated or reclining on the tarmac in the late hours .

@IndiGo6E has grown bigger than shoes n their attitude is of terrorists mindset, keep harassing people n top of that demands money for everything, protected by Govt Peanuts and frooti offered at 6:00 am. Not allowed to get on flight,” said a tweet from Pranith Alagwadi, a disgruntled passenger

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”