IndiGo Mumbai-Nagpur Flight Suffers Tail Damage While Landing, No Injuries

A tail strike occurs when the tail of an aircraft hits the ground or any other stationary object during take-off or landing and is usually a rare occurrence in aviation.

An Indigo plane that took off from the Mumbai's Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport suffered a tail strike while landing at the Nagpur Airport. The incident took place on April 14, 2023 when Flight 6E-203 was on course to Nagpur from Mumbai. No injuries were reported in the incident, the airlines said. "On 14th April 2023, flight 6E 203, from Mumbai had a tail strike while landing at Nagpur. The aircraft was declared grounded at Nagpur airport for assessment and repairs. The incident is being investigated in detail," IndiGo said in a statement.

A tail strike occurs when the tail or empennage of an aircraft hits the ground or any other stationary object during take-off or landing. At least a couple of more IndiGo flights suffered a tail strike in 2023, resulting in grounding of the planes. A tail strike of the plane is usually a rare occurrence and can result to untoward incidents if not dealt carefully.

Following three tail strike incidents operated by IndiGo in the last three months, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an action and corrective measures against crew members and the airlines, reported ANI.

"One tail strike occurred on Feb 2 and two occurred on April 14. Based on the outcome of the investigation, action has been taken into the matter," a senior DGCA official said. Supervised take-off and landing approval was withdrawn by the airline based on the fact of the case.

"Communication has been sent to all pilots about tail strike awareness during take-off, landing and Go-Around. Training Department has communicated to all trainers for including discussion on awareness about the tail strike with trainees," the official said.