IndiGo flight 6E 6542 was forced to perform a go-around during its first landing attempt.
New Delhi: An IndiGo flight travelling from Guwahati to Bengaluru suffered a “tail strike” while landing at Kempegowda International Airport, with the airline describing the incident on Sunday as an “Abnormal Runway Contact” that occurred amid gusty weather conditions.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely, and all passengers disembarked without any further incident.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the incident.
According to airport sources, IndiGo flight 6E 6542 was forced to perform a go-around during its first approach to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.
During the aircraft’s second landing attempt, its tail made contact with the runway.
“An IndiGo aircraft operating flight 6E 6542 from Guwahati to Bengaluru, experienced an ‘Abnormal Runway Contact’ while landing during gusty weather at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru,” an airline spokesperson said.
All passengers and crew members were safe and disembarked from the aircraft without incident.
“In line with standard operating procedures, all relevant authorities were informed and the aircraft is undergoing maintenance checks. It will resume operations after securing necessary clearances. As always, safety of our customers and crew is our top priority,” IndiGo said in a statement.
The airline arranged an alternative aircraft to operate the scheduled Bengaluru-Coimbatore sector to minimise disruption to passengers and operations.
The incident comes days after an IndiGo Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner carrying more than 250 passengers returned to London’s Heathrow Airport shortly after taking off for Delhi due to a technical issue.
An emergency was declared and the aircraft was given priority clearance to land at Heathrow. It landed safely, and all passengers subsequently disembarked without incident.
Reports from London said the pilots detected smoke aboard the Boeing Dreamliner shortly after take-off, prompting them to turn the aircraft back to Heathrow Airport. The crew also alerted Air Traffic Control and declared an emergency.
IndiGo flight 6E4, operating from London to Delhi, returned to Heathrow around an hour after departure, according to data from flight-tracking website Flightradar24.com.
IndiGo, however, did not provide details about the exact nature of the technical issue that forced the aircraft to return.
“The safety of our customers, crew, and aircraft remains our top priority,” the airline said.
