While cruising at around 36,000 feet near Pathankot in Punjab, the aircraft entered a thunderstorm zone. The crew first contacted the Indian Air Force-controlled northern air traffic control (ATC) seeking permission to deviate towards Pakistani airspace to bypass the storm.
An IndiGo flight bound for Srinagar encountered severe turbulence and hailstorm conditions, prompting the crew to make emergency requests to avoid the storm, according to a statement by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The aircraft, flight 6E-2142 from New Delhi, was carrying over 220 passengers, including Members of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress, when the incident occurred on 21 May.
While cruising at around 36,000 feet near Pathankot in Punjab, the aircraft entered a thunderstorm zone. The crew first contacted the Indian Air Force-controlled northern air traffic control (ATC) seeking permission to deviate towards Pakistani airspace to bypass the storm. The request was denied, reportedly due to heightened tensions near the border following recent hostilities during Operation Sindoor. The pilot then contacted Lahore ATC to request temporary entry into Pakistani airspace, but this too was refused.
With no clearance to divert, the pilot considered returning to Delhi. However, with the aircraft already close to the storm system, this was deemed unsafe. The crew opted instead to continue the flight towards Srinagar, navigating directly through the storm.
The DGCA report noted that the aircraft was subjected to “extreme updrafts and downdrafts” during its passage through the storm, resulting in significant speed fluctuations and the autopilot disengaging. Multiple warnings were triggered, including angle of attack faults, loss of alternate law protection, and unreliable airspeed indications.
During the most critical phase of the flight, the aircraft’s descent rate reached as high as 8,500 feet per minute. The crew manually controlled the plane through the hailstorm until conditions stabilised. The pilot then declared an emergency to the Srinagar ATC, which activated radar guidance to assist with the final approach.
The Airbus A321 Neo landed safely at 6.30 pm in Srinagar, with no injuries reported among passengers or crew. However, the nose cone (radome) of the aircraft suffered severe damage. The DGCA confirmed that the aircraft’s autothrust systems functioned normally during landing and that a full investigation into the incident is now underway.
Videos and images shared on social media showed the aircraft shaking violently in the storm, with passengers visibly distressed. The storm had affected large parts of Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh, leading to over 50 fatalities and widespread damage
