An IndiGo Airbus A321 suffered a tail strike during landing at Bengaluru airport on Sunday, September 27, in the ninth known such incident involving the airline’s A321 fleet, according to a report by The Hindu. The aircraft has been grounded and is undergoing maintenance checks.
IndiGo said in a statement that the aircraft experienced an “abnormal runway contact” during “gusty wind conditions” in Bengaluru. The airline said all relevant authorities had been informed after the incident.
The aircraft was operating a flight from Guwahati. Industry sources said it aborted its initial landing attempt at Bengaluru airport before making its final landing at 12.15 p.m. The report did not state whether any passenger or crew member was injured.
A tail strike occurs when the rear section of an aircraft makes contact with the runway during landing, take-off or a go-around. The contact can damage the aircraft’s rear fuselage or other structural components, requiring engineering inspection before the aircraft can return to service.
The incident places renewed attention on the operating challenges faced by aircraft during landing in gusty conditions. At airports, wind conditions are among the factors considered by pilots and air traffic controllers when managing approaches, go-arounds and runway operations. The available report, however, does not establish whether wind alone caused the Bengaluru occurrence or whether other operational factors were involved.
IndiGo’s statement described the runway contact as abnormal and confirmed that the aircraft had been taken out of service for maintenance checks. The airline did not provide details of the aircraft’s registration, the extent of any damage or the expected duration of the inspection in the information available.
The latest occurrence is the second tail-strike report involving an IndiGo A321 referenced in recent coverage and brings the number of known incidents involving the airline’s A321 fleet to at least nine, according to The Hindu. The recurrence makes the maintenance and safety review of each aircraft central to determining whether it can resume operations.
The aircraft will remain grounded while the relevant checks are completed. Further information is expected from the airline and the authorities that were informed about the incident.
