Another IndiGo aircraft suffers tail strike while landing, 2nd incident in a week

Overall in 2023, nearly half a dozen planes of IndiGo have been hit with tail strikes and their pilots have been suspended.

A Bengaluru-Ahmedabad IndiGo aircraft suffered a tail strike on its arrival at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 15, prompting aviation safety regulator DGCA to order a probe into the incident.

Flight 6E-6595 from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad suffered a tail strike at its destination airport.

While no injuries were reported among the passengers or crew members, the DGCA has asked the airline to temporarily suspend the pilots involved in the mishap.

This is the second such incident in the span of a week on-board IndiGo flights after a Kolkata-Delhi IndiGo aircraft suffered a tail strike on its arrival at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 11.

Overall in 2023, nearly half a dozen planes of IndiGo have been hit with tail strikes and their pilots have been suspended.

"A tail strike has been reported. The DGCA has ordered off rostering of pilots," the DGCA official said.

IndiGo, in a statement, confirmed the incident and said the aircraft has been grounded for inspection.

"IndiGo flight 6E6595 operating from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad experienced a tail strike while landing in Ahmedabad. The aircraft was declared grounded at Ahmedabad airport for necessary assessment and repairs. The incident is under investigation by relevant authorities," the airline said in the statement.

A tail strike occurs when the tail or empennage of an aircraft collides with the ground or any stationary object during take-off or landing.

The DGCA has initiated a probe to determine the exact circumstances leading to the tail strike. In the interest of safety, the aircraft has been grounded until further notice.