IndiGo A321 Grounded for Checks After Tail Strike During Bengaluru Landing

A Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight from Guwahati suffered a tail strike during its second landing attempt at Kempegowda International Airport on Sunday amid gusty weather conditions, sources said.

The aircraft, an Airbus A321, was operating IndiGo's Guwahati-Bengaluru service when it experienced what the airline described as “abnormal runway contact” while landing.

IndiGo said all passengers and crew members were safe and had disembarked safely following the incident. “The aircraft operating our Guwahati-Bengaluru flight experienced abnormal runway contact while landing at Bengaluru airport amid gusty weather,” the airline said in a statement.

The aircraft has been taken out of service and is undergoing maintenance checks. It will resume operations only after necessary inspections and clearances, the airline said. All relevant authorities have also been informed.

The incident is likely to bring scrutiny to aviation safety procedures, including the response to challenging weather conditions, landing approach parameters and the crew's actions during the second landing attempt. However, details of the pilots' response and the circumstances that led to the second approach were not immediately available.

A tail strike occurs when the rear section of an aircraft comes into contact with the runway during take-off or landing. Such incidents generally require detailed inspections before an aircraft can return to service.

The DGCA investigation or safety assessment, if initiated, would be expected to examine the aircraft's flight data, cockpit procedures, weather conditions, approach and landing parameters, and the crew's response to the situation.

The incident also assumes significance as the PTI report notes that IndiGo's A321 aircraft have faced tail-strike incidents at different airports in the past.

The airline has not reported any injuries or provided further details about the incident. The aircraft will remain grounded until the maintenance assessment is completed and the necessary regulatory clearances are obtained.