IndiGo aircraft grounded after tail strike during Ranchi landing; passengers safe

An IndiGo flight from Bhubaneswar suffered a tail strike while landing at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport on Friday evening, prompting authorities to ground the aircraft and cancel its onward journey. All passengers on board were safe, officials said on Saturday.

The incident took place around 7.30 pm when the Airbus aircraft, carrying nearly 70 passengers, touched down on the runway. A tail strike occurs when the rear section of an aircraft — typically the underside of the fuselage — makes unintended contact with the runway surface, usually due to a steeper-than-normal landing angle.

Ranchi airport director Vinod Kumar told PTI that passengers felt a “sudden jolt” at the time of landing. “The tail of the aircraft touched the runway during landing. Passengers experienced a sudden jolt. However, they were all safe and unharmed,” he said.

After the aircraft was moved to the apron, IndiGo engineers inspected it and found it technically unfit for further operations. Given the safety implications, the airline immediately grounded the plane. Its scheduled Ranchi–Bhubaneswar return flight was cancelled as a result.

The disruption affected dozens of passengers.

Airport officials said multiple options were offered: some travellers cancelled their tickets seeking refunds, others chose to reschedule, and several were transported to Bhubaneswar by road as an alternative arrangement.

Tail strikes, while uncommon, are treated seriously by aviation regulators due to the potential structural damage they can cause.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to initiate a routine inquiry to determine the cause, assess any safety lapses, and evaluate whether operational factors or crew decisions contributed to the hard landing.

The incident adds to the scrutiny IndiGo has already been facing this month following large-scale flight disruptions triggered by crew shortages and rostering issues. Although unrelated, Friday’s event is likely to draw additional attention to the airline’s operational safety and compliance.

IndiGo has not yet issued an official statement on the tail strike.