New Delhi, May 24: An IndiGo Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers from Delhi to Srinagar was unexpectedly caught in hailstorm on the air route and miraculously escaped.
The aircraft, which was hit by hailstorm, suffered severe damage to the nose tip and a crack appeared. Flight 6E 2142 had taken off from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5 pm on May 21.
The IndiGo flight was near Pathankot on the India-Pakistan border when it was hit by a storm and hailstorm. The flight crew then contacted the Indian Air Force's northern control center. The aircraft requested permission to turn left towards Pakistani airspace, but the request was rejected.The airport staff then contacted the air traffic control center in Lahore directly.
The aircraft requested permission to enter Pakistani airspace for a short time to escape the hailstorm. But the authorities there refused. The pilots initially considered returning to Delhi due to the thunderstorm. But the aircraft was already very close to the clouds. Finally, the crew decided to break through the clouds and fly towards Srinagar. At one point, the aircraft began to descend at a speed of 8,500 feet per minute. Normally, the aircraft descends at a rate of 1,500 to 1,000 feet per minute.
The nose of the aircraft was damaged by the hailstorm. But the pilot, undeterred, managed to land the plane at Srinagar airport with great skill. The plane landed 15 minutes late, sources said.
A video of the plane traveling amidst lightning and the passengers, especially the special children, screaming has been shared by a passenger on social media.