An IndiGo A321-251NX aircraft from Delhi landed safely in Srinagar after facing severe turbulence and damage due to a hailstorm in the region. 227 passengers, including crew, were transported unharmed to their destination.
The incident
IndiGo Flight 6E 2124 en route from Delhi to Srinagar met with severe turbulence before landing in Srinagar. The ATC was alerted with an emergency signal from the aircraft. The route from the Indian capital to the largest city of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is usually completed within 1.5 hours. Despite the delayed landing, it took 1 hour 15 minutes to cover the path.
Sheikh Samiullah, a passenger, in an interview with the Press Trust of India said:
“I was on board the IndiGo flight when everything seemed normal, until the pilot suddenly announced a rough patch ahead and asked us to fasten our seat belts. I’m a frequent flyer, but I’ve never experienced turbulence like this. It was terrifying.”
The turbulence resulted in damages to the aircraft including a broken nose cone and was later declared ‘Aircraft on Ground’ (AOG) for further technical inspection.
A safe landing
Despite the havoc and panic caused amongst the passengers, the crew performed their duties diligently to ensure passenger safety. The aircraft landed at 6:30 p.m. at Srinagar Airport (SXR).
Along with the passengers, a journalist and Member of Parliament, Sagarika Ghose, and her four colleagues were also on board. She described her experience as “near-death” and “when we landed we saw the nose of the plane had blown up,” she said, adding, the delegation thanked the pilot after the landing.
After this IndiGo issued a statement:
“The airport team attended to the customers after the arrival of the aircraft, prioritising their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post-necessary inspection and maintenance.”
A turbulence guide
During turbulence, a key piece of advice is to be alert and coordinate with the instructions stated by the crew.
After taking all precautions, the pilot decided to not perform a ‘go around’ (when the pilot or air traffic control doesn’t deem it safe enough for the plane to land, so they divert and fly around nearby until conditions have improved) and landed safely.
Have you experienced turbulence on a flight before? Share your experiences below.
