Passengers aboard a Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo flight faced a terrifying ordeal on Wednesday evening when their aircraft encountered a sudden and violent hailstorm mid-flight, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency with air traffic control in Srinagar.
The aircraft, which was operating as IndiGo Flight 6E 2142, had more than 220 passengers on board and eventually landed safely at 6:30 pm, though not without signs of significant weather-inflicted trauma.The incident is now being treated as a technical grounding, with the aircraft officially categorised as ‘Aircraft on Ground’ (AOG) — an aviation term for aircraft that is not fit to fly due to mechanical or structural issues. While the airline has confirmed that all standard safety procedures were followed, visuals circulating on social media showed clear damage to the aircraft’s nose cone, likely caused by hail impact at high altitude.
According to IndiGo, both cockpit and cabin crew adhered to standard emergency protocol after the aircraft experienced the severe turbulence. “The crew prioritised passenger safety and ensured calm onboard. After safely landing in Srinagar, ground staff were deployed to attend to the passengers’ comfort and needs,” the airline said in a statement.
Aviation officials in Srinagar also confirmed the plane’s emergency report and added that a thorough inspection and mandatory maintenance work would be carried out before the aircraft is cleared for operations again. For now, the aircraft remains grounded and under assessment by airline engineers.While no injuries were reported, passengers described the experience,“I was in the plane and am heading back home from Srinagar. It was a near death experience. The nose of the plane is damaged…There was panic and people were screaming. Everyone was scared,” one of the passenger who was on board the flight, said in a post on micro-blogging platform X.
“The Nose and Right side of the plane was damaged… And we were not allowed to see much as airforce police was there,” said in another post.
According to another passenger, that he thought the plane was going to crash.
“I was onboard the IndiGo flight when everything seemed normal, until the pilot suddenly announced a rough patch ahead and asked us to fasten our seatbelts. I’m a frequent flyer, but I’ve never experienced turbulence like this. It was terrifying. I’m truly grateful to the pilot for landing us safely,” he said.
Another onboard flyer, praised the pilots and the cabin crew for their handling of the plane and the situation in the plane.
We had a narrow escape from Delhi to Srinagar flight indigo. Special thanks to the captain and cabin crew.
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