A domestic IndiGo flight from Delhi, India to Srinagar with 227 people on board was battered by severe turbulence on Wednesday evening, causing visible damage to the aircraft’s nose and sparking panic among passengers mid-flight.
Flight 6E2142 had departed from Delhi as scheduled but encountered a powerful hailstorm as it approached Srinagar.
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The intense weather caused the aircraft to shake violently, pelting the fuselage with hailstones and triggering a wave of fear in the cabin.
“I was onboard the IndiGo flight when everything seemed normal, until the pilot suddenly announced a rough patch ahead and asked us to fasten our seatbelts.
It was terrifying,“ recalled passenger Sheikh Samiullah in a video shared by the Press Trust of India (PTI).
A widely circulated video from inside the cabin captured the chaos, with passengers screaming as the plane jolted amid the storm.
Despite the frightening ordeal and the damage to the aircraft’s nose cone, the pilot managed to land safely at Srinagar Airport at around 6.30pm.
“All passengers and crew disembarked safely,” confirmed officials from the Airports Authority of India.
IndiGo later confirmed the aircraft had been declared “AOG” (Aircraft on Ground) and would remain grounded pending a full inspection and repairs, Times of India reported.
“Flight 6E2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered a sudden hailstorm en route. The crew followed all safety procedures, and the aircraft landed safely.
“The airport team attended to passengers’ comfort and wellbeing after landing. The aircraft will be released only after inspection and maintenance,“ the airline said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the same storm also disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, with several flights reportedly delayed, diverted or cancelled due to the adverse weather.
