IndiGo Flight Suffers Tail Strike In Bengaluru, Airline Blames Weather

A Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight from Guwahati suffered a tail strike on Sunday while going around at the Kempegowda International Airport, sources said.

IndiGo flight 6E 6542 landed safely in its second attempt, they told NDTV.

The airline confirmed the incident, saying the A321 Neo had experienced an "abnormal runway contact" during landing.

The aircraft has been grounded for checks.

IndiGo attributed the incident to gusty weather.

"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," a spokesperson for the airline said in a statement.

It informed that all passengers and crew were safe and have disembarked the aircraft safely.

"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," the statement said.

Airline Regulator Launches Probe

The incident has attracted the attention of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which has launched an investigation amid "concerns over repeat 6E A321 tail strikes," sources said.

Last month, an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Gorakhpur executed a precautionary go-around after suffering a tail strike.

Flight 6E 2381 was on its landing approach into Gorakhpur when the flight crew decided to abort the initial landing and perform a standard go-around procedure in the interest of safety.

During a routine post-flight walk-around inspection, maintenance crews noticed minor scratches near the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) inlet located at the tail section of the aircraft.

The aircraft was temporarily grounded and placed under maintenance for thorough inspection and repair.