An IndiGo flight from Bhubaneswar to Ranchi suffered a tail strike upon landing at Ranchi airport on Friday (December 12), sending shockwaves through the cabin but resulting in no injuries among the approximately 70 passengers on board. The mishap occurred around 7:30 pm, as the aircraft descended onto the runway under normal weather conditions, according to airport officials.
Ranchi Airport Director Vinod Kumar confirmed to media that the aircraft’s tail made contact with the runway during the landing phase. “Passengers felt a sudden jolt, but everyone remained safe and unharmed,” he stated, emphasising the swift response from ground crew.
Aircraft grounded, flights disrupted
Post-incident, the plane was deemed technically unfit for flight and grounded for thorough maintenance checks, a standard protocol under DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) guidelines. This led to the cancellation of its scheduled return flight to Bhubaneswar.
Passengers faced varied disruptions: some opted to cancel their trips entirely, others rescheduled for later flights, and a few were transported to Bhubaneswar by road, a roughly 400-km, 8-hour journey. Airport authorities provided assistance, including refreshments and alternative arrangements, to mitigate inconvenience.
Safety first: All passengers accounted for
No injuries were reported, underscoring the robustness of modern aircraft design and seatbelt protocols. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is likely to investigate, as tail strikes require reporting within 24 hours and can lead to fleet-wide reviews if patterns emerge. IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, has faced similar hard landings before but maintains a strong safety record.
What is a tail strike and why it happens?
A tail strike happens when an aircraft’s tail section scrapes the runway, often due to excessive nose-up pitch during landing, pilot error, improper speed, or runway conditions. While not uncommon- occurring in about 1 in 20,000 landings globally- this incident prompted immediate scrutiny. IndiGo has not yet released a preliminary cause, but aviation experts note such events typically trigger mandatory inspections to check for structural damage.
