SIA plane rolls backwards at New Delhi airport, stewardess injured
A Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane rolled backwards after it was parked at an Indian airport on Nov 25, with a stewardess suffering a bruise on her thigh.
No other injuries were reported, and all passengers disembarked the aircraft normally, said the airline in response to queries.
A total of 459 passengers and 25 crew were also on board the Airbus A380. It had been operating flight SQ406 from Singapore to New Delhi and had arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport when the incident occurred.
“The pilot immediately applied the brakes to halt the aircraft. Once the aircraft was stationary, the pilots informed air traffic control and ground staff safely towed the aircraft back to its designated parking bay,” the SIA spokesperson said.
He added that the injured stewardess received medical attention and has been cleared to resume her duties.
According to Indian news outlet The Times of India, the airport’s parking bay is designed with a slight slope.
SIA is investigating the cause of the incident, the spokesperson said, adding that “the safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority”.
Retired pilot Steven Khoo, 67, said a rollback can be dangerous if the movement of the aircraft injures passengers or the cabin crew, and if it damages the aircraft.
“It could also endanger personnel below the aircraft as they would be approaching it,” said Mr Khoo, who has 45 years of flying experience.
There are various reasons a rollback can occur, he said, including system failure and human error.
Typically, pilots would stop the plane at the gate when instructed by its parking system to do so. Pilots would then engage the parking brakes and shut down the aircraft’s engines.
Those within the cabin would usually be allowed to release their seatbelts and leave their seats at this point. The pilots would then do their shut-down checks.
The ground crew would have also put chocks - or wedges - behind the plane’s wheels to prevent the aircraft from rolling backwards. This would then allow the pilots to release the parking brake.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now