A SpiceJet technician at Kolkata's Dum Dum Airport was killed in a 'freak accident' on Wednesday morning after he got stuck in the landing gear door of an aircraft.
The technician, identified as Rohit Pandey, was carrying out routine maintenance work in the landing gear when the landing door suddenly closed. He allegedly died of suffocation after his neck got stuck between the hydraulic flaps of the door, reported Zee News.
"The technician was carrying out maintenance work on the landing gear of a Bombardier Q400 plane belonging to SpiceJet, when the landing door accidentally got closed and he got stuck," a senior official was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India.
However, it is not yet known how the technician got stuck and an investigation has been launched. PTI reported that the mechanism for the landing gear door involves three parts – a hydraulic opening system, a gravitational opening system as well as a hydraulic closing system.
The door is situated on the underside of the aircraft and it has been designed in such a way that it will protect the landing gear when opened but also keeps the aerodynamic shape of the flight.
SpiceJet issued a statement after the news of the technician's death broke. "Extremely saddened to share that our technician Rohit Pandey passed away last night in an unfortunate incident at Kolkata airport. He was doing maintenance work in right hand main landing gear wheel well area of a Q400 aircraft which was parked in Bay No. 32 at airport. Inadvertently, the main landing gear hydraulic door closed & he got stuck in between the hydraulic door flaps," read the statement.
