Singapore Airlines A380 Rolls Back at Delhi Airport After Brake Error
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 rolled away from its parking stand at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in New Delhi on November 25, 2024, after the crew failed to set the parking brake properly. Fortunately, the incident did not result in any significant damage to the aircraft, and all passengers were unharmed. However, one cabin crew member suffered a minor injury, and the event is currently under investigation.
The Airbus A380, registered 9V-SKR, had just completed a five-hour flight from Singapore’s Changi International Airport (SIN) as flight SQ406. Upon arriving at its designated parking stand, the aircraft initially came to a stop. However, due to the crew’s failure to apply the parking brake, the aircraft began rolling backward.
As soon as the pilots noticed the aircraft was moving, they immediately applied the brakes to stop the plane. The aircraft came to a halt, and the ground crew used a tug to safely move the A380 back into its correct parking position.
Singapore Airlines issued a statement detailing the incident: “A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380, operating flight SQ406 from Singapore to New Delhi, experienced a rollback after parking at Delhi Airport on November 25, 2024. 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.”
“All passengers disembarked the aircraft normally with no injuries reported. One cabin crew member suffered a minor bruise on her thigh, received medical attention, and was cleared to return to duties. SIA apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this incident. The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority,” the airline added.
While Delhi Airport authorities did not provide further comments, sources at the airport suggested that the parking stand has a slight slope, which could have contributed to the aircraft’s movement after it was initially parked. The rollback occurred at 20:14 local time, and the parking brake was applied soon afterward.
The incident has raised questions about the procedures followed by the crew. Aviation standards dictate that once an aircraft has stopped at its parking stand, the crew must check the hydraulic pressure of the braking system before applying the parking brake and shutting down the engines. Chocks, typically rubber wedges, are also used to prevent the aircraft from moving in the event of a brake failure.
In this case, it appears the crew did not set the parking brake before shutting down the engines. After the rollback, it was determined that using a ground tug to reposition the aircraft was safer than restarting the engines to move it back into place.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation on whether Indian authorities will launch a formal investigation or if the pilots involved in the incident will face any consequences.
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