IndiGo Flight ‘Tailstrike’ Leaves Huge Dent During Take-Off, Plane Returns To Airport; Pilots Suspended

New Delhi: An IndiGo aircraft suffered damage in the tail section after it hit the runway while taking off from Delhi Airport. The IndiGo flight No. 6E 6054 was scheduled to fly to Bengaluru when the incident happened on September 9, NDTV reported quoting sources.

Visuals of the damage to the tail section show several white dents on the blue paint of the aircraft skin, indicating a serious tailstrike.

While commenting on the incident, IndiGo said on September 17: “On 9th September 2024, an IndiGo A321 was grounded in Bangalore due to a tail strike. The aircraft is currently under maintenance and will be back in operations post necessary repairs. The incident is under investigation.”

A tail strike happens when the tail of an aircraft touches the runway during takeoff or landing. This can be dangerous as it can lead to structural damage, especially to the rear pressure bulkhead, the cone-shaped area in an aircraft’s tail that seals the pressurised cabin.

The pilot immediately informed the air traffic controller (ATC) about the matter, after which the ATC gave clearance to land. The aircraft landed safely, the report added.

No one was injured. The regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Delhi airport authorities are investigating the incident.

The DGCA has derostered the crew and has started the process of finding out what exactly happened.

The passengers were deboarded and separate arrangements were made for them, sources said.

Last year, the DGCA suspended IndiGo pilots involved in a tail strike incident at Ahmedabad airport. While the pilot-in-command was suspended for three months, the co-pilot was suspended for a month. The aviation regulator had also fined IndiGo Rs 30 lakh after the airline suffered four tail strike incidents on its A321 aircraft in 2023.

IndiGo has not given a statement on the matter yet.