A SpiceJet flight from Dubai was unable to continue its return route on Monday due to a fault with the nose wheel. As a consequence, a rescue plane was sent to pick up the passengers who had been stranded owing to the technical glitch. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an investigation into the issue.

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A senior DGCA official stated that on July 11, Spicejet B737 aircraft VT-SZK operated the Mangalore-Dubai trip that was intended to come back to India.

“Post landing during a walk-around inspection, the engineer observed nose wheel strut compressed more than normal. On this, the engineer grounded the aircraft,” the official said.

“It may be due to depletion of nitrogen used in the oleo strut or internal seal damage. The exact reason would be ascertained based on the investigation of the Landing Gear strut,” he added.

Speaking on the matter, a SpiceJet spokesperson said that flight SG23 operating from Dubai to Madurai on July 11 was delayed due to a last-minute technical issue.

“An alternate aircraft was arranged immediately which brought passengers back to India. Flight delays can happen with any airline. There has been no incident or a safety scare on this flight,” the spokesperson further said.

After a technical problem was overcome, the commercial flight of a Spicejet aircraft returned to India. In the previous several weeks, SpiceJet has had a series of malfunctions. DGCA, India’s aviation regulator, issued a show-cause notice to the airline last week for its lack of ability to provide safe, efficient, and dependable air travel.

(With inputs from ANI)