IndiGo flight hit- Hailstorm, denied nod to use Pakistani airspace

1. IndiGo Delhi-Srinagar flight: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has grounded two IndiGo pilots who operated the Airbus A321 Neo on the Delhi to Srinagar route amid a turbulence emergency, as per a report. This comes after new details into the incident reveal that the pilots requested permission from the Indian Air Force Northern Area Control to deviate towards the India-Pakistan International Border (IB). They also contacted Lahore Air Traffic Control (ATC) to enter Pakistani airspace briefly; however, the request was denied due to NOTAM.

   With no alternative route available, the aircraft continued on its original path and navigated through the inclement weather. The flight, which landed safely in Srinagar, had more than 220 passengers onboard, including MPs from the Trinamool Congress. 

2. What has happened?

   The aircraft was flying over Amritsar when it hit a severe hailstorm. The pilots immediately contacted the IAF and later Lahore ATC, but both requests were denied. The pilots, who were forced to continue flying in the bad weather, manually flew the aircraft as passengers experienced intense turbulence caused by rapid altitude changes and fluctuating speeds. 

   At one point, the aircraft was going down at a rate of 8,500 feet per minute, more than four times the normal descent rate, reported the Hindustan Times. Many passengers described this as a “near-death experience” and a “flight they will never forget”. 

   Additionally, multiple flight control systems stopped working properly amid the adverse weather, and the pilots received simultaneous stall and overspeed warnings as they struggled to regain control.

   When the aircraft landed in Srinagar, the aircraft’s nose, which has randome, was damaged. A randome is a protective weatherproof cover for an aircraft’s radar antenna.

   DGCA issues statement

   “While cruising at FL360 (36,000 feet), the aircraft entered a hailstorm and severe turbulence near Pathankot. As per the crew statement, they requested Northern Control (IAF) for deviation towards left (IB) due to weather on the route, however, it was not approved. Later crew contacted Lahore to enter their airspace to avoid the weather, but the same was refused too. Crew initially attempted to turn back, but as they were close to the thunderstorm cloud, they decided to penetrate the weather. Subsequently, they encountered a hailstorm and severe turbulence. The crew chose to continue at the same heading to exit the weather by the shortest route towards Srinagar,” the DGCA said in a statement.

   As per a report by The Indian Express, the pilots said that while navigating the hailstorm manually, the aircraft sounded technical warnings of “angle of attack fault, alternate law protection lost, and backup speed scale unreliable”.

3. Flight was assisted till it landed in Srinagar: IAF sources

   “The aircraft was immediately assisted in coordinating their route diversion by contacting Delhi Area and passing the requisite contact frequencies of Lahore control for an overflight weather diversion request. Once Lahore refused overflight clearance, and the aircraft proceeded towards Srinagar, the flight was subsequently professionally assisted till safe landing at Srinagar airfield by giving control vectors and ground speed readouts,” The Indian Express quoted the IAF sources as saying. 

   In a statement, IndiGo said, “IndiGo flight 6E 2142 from Delhi to Srinagar on May 21 navigated a sudden hailstorm and landed safely at Srinagar International Airport. All customers were attended to upon landing, and no injuries were reported. The aircraft is currently undergoing necessary inspection and maintenance in Srinagar and will resume operations once all clearances have been secured. We sincerely thank our customers for their cooperation in ensuring the safe completion of this flight. As always, the safety of our customers and crew remains our highest priority.”

   Investigation underway: Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu

   Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that an investigation into the incident is underway.

   “We are looking into the incident, but in the meantime, from the information that I have, I would like to appreciate the efforts of the pilots and the crew who have been very composed in the way they have handled even in that weather that the flight has gone through,” Naidu said.

   “We are very thankful that no incident has happened and everyone is safe, but we are going to thoroughly investigate what exactly has happened,” he added.

   The aircraft left Delhi at around 4:55 pm and landed in Srinagar at 6:25 pm, according to data provided by Flightradar24.