Date:04/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/2008040450410100.htm

Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi-bound Kingfisher plane forced to abort flight

Special Correspondent

Serious security lapse at Hyderabad’s Shamshabad airport

Lives of 90 passengers could have been in jeopardy
An unidentified substance was located, says GMR

HYDERABAD: In a serious security lapse that could have endangered the lives of 90 passengers on board a Kingfisher aircraft, a “dangerous” cargo reportedly spilled over forcing the New Delhi-bound flight to return to Shamshabad airport on Thursday.

With the accusing finger being pointed at the GMR security screening staff, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered an inquiry and suspended the certificate of the operator who cleared the “dangerous cargo”, a civil aviation security official said in New Delhi.

“We have also asked for a report on the incident from GMR,” said a DGCA official here. Kingfisher accommodated 73 passengers of flight IT-801 in another aircraft to Delhi, while 17 passengers cancelled their trip. The passengers were merely informed of a “technical snag” after the flight returned to the airport.

The plane had been airborne for about 12 minutes when the smoke detecting alarms went off and the commander instantly decided to return. “During precautionary unloading of the cargo, an unidentified substance was located,” a statement from GMR said. It was said that the cargo in question was booked for Delhi. “There must have been some spillage leading to fumes, setting off the smoke detection alarm,” industry sources said. “The cargo contained a powder which would not otherwise have been accepted and cleared for carriage,” a Kingfisher official said. The ‘powder’ was seized and handed over to the security for analysis. The possibility of ‘sabotage angle’ was, however, ruled out by the police. Neither Kingfisher nor GMR clarified whether the alarm went off because of fumes or flames.