Lucknow: An IndiGo flight from Patna to Lucknow suffered a lightning strike while on approach to the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport on Wednesday.
While the passengers and crew were unaffected, the aircraft suffered considerable damage to its nose.
The pilots were unaware of the structural damage during the flight, however, and landed the aircraft safely, ensuring all 104 passengers and six crew members remained unharmed.
Despite the lightning strike, the IndiGo flight 6E925 landed with damaged nose safely at Lucknow, touching down around eight minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival time of 4.12pm, The Times of India reported.
The extent of the damage became evident only after the aircraft Airbus A320-251N with tail registration VT-IQZ, had vacated the runway and was parked at its designated bay, airport sources said.
“As per the initial information, the pilots were not aware of the extent of the damage the lightning had caused. They had reported the lightning strike to Air Traffic Control (ATC) as a precaution because they themselves were not sure whether the aircraft had suffered any significant impact during the flight,” a source familiar with the matter said.
Primary inspection revealed that the damage was confined to the aircraft’s nose radome, which is designed to protect the weather radar installed at the front of the aircraft.
Such structures are engineered to withstand lightning strikes, and commercial aircraft are certified to safely endure such incidents, aviation experts said.
The aircraft was grounded for detailed technical checks following the post flight inspection. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been informed about the incident in accordance with standard operating procedures, officials said.
The aircraft will remain grounded in Lucknow until engineers complete a thorough inspection and all necessary repairs, after which it will operate only after receiving the mandatory clearance from the DGCA.
No passenger or crew member sustained any injuries during the incident, and normal disembarkation took place after the aircraft reached the bay, officials said.
“Lightning strikes on commercial aircraft are uncommon but not unusual. Modern aircraft are designed to safely dissipate the electrical charge through the fuselage, allowing flights to continue safely. However, every such incident is followed by a comprehensive engineering inspection before the aircraft is cleared for further operations,” an official source said.
