For those aboard IndiGo flight 6E2142 from Delhi to Srinagar on the evening of May 21, 2025, what began as a routine journey quickly devolved into a harrowing “near-death experience”.Among the 227 passengers was a delegation from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including prominent figures like Derek O’Brien and journalist Sagarika Ghose, who vividly recounted the terror.

Yet, amidst the chaos, a remarkable feat of aviation skill and adherence to stringent safety protocols unfolded. The pilot, demonstrating extraordinary composure and expertise, declared an emergency and, against challenging conditions, successfully landed the aircraft safely at Srinagar International Airport at approximately 6:30 PM.

Details of what happened?

IndiGo flight 6E2142, operating with aircraft registration VT-IMD, departed from Delhi on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, bound for Srinagar. It was carrying 227 passengers and crew members.

Approximately 20 to 30 minutes before the scheduled landing in Srinagar, an announcement was made, advising passengers to fasten their seatbelts in anticipation of turbulence.What followed, however, far exceeded typical turbulence. Within a mere two to three minutes, the situation deteriorated dramatically. The aircraft plunged into a severe hailstorm, experiencing “intense” and “violent” shaking.

Passengers described the plane moving “up and down,” with overhead luggage bins springing open and items falling, exacerbating the “complete panic” within the cabin. Videos captured from inside the aircraft, which later went viral, showed the raw fear, with passengers, including children, screaming and crying in distress. Here is one.

I had a narrow escape while flying from Delhi to Srinagar. Flight number #6E2142. Hats off to the captain for the safe landing.@IndiGo6E pic.twitter.com/tNEKwGOT4q

— Sheikh Samiullah (@_iamsamiullah) May 21, 2025

 

Even frequent flyers on board expressed that they had never experienced anything remotely similar. Weather radar primarily detects liquid precipitation, and hail, being solid ice, may not always appear prominently on radar displays.This characteristic makes hailstorms particularly dangerous, as pilots might not receive a clear, real-time indication of the exact intensity or precise location of hail within a storm cell, especially when these cells develop suddenly and locally.

Aircraft Damage and Grounding

The immediate aftermath of the hailstorm revealed the physical toll taken on the aircraft. The most prominent damage was to the aircraft’s nose cone, commonly known as the radome.Viral images circulating on social media, clearly showed the “broken nose” of the aircraft. IndiGo officials described the damage as “weather-related damage” to the nose section.

A radome is a critical, aerodynamically shaped structural enclosure located at the aircraft’s nose, designed to protect the sensitive weather radar antenna from physical damage and adverse weather conditions while minimizing any interference with its radio wave transmission. Typically constructed from composite materials like fiberglass, the radome is engineered to be transparent to radio waves, a property that inherently makes it more fragile than the aircraft’s main fuselage. While designed for protection, a severe hail impact can compromise its structural integrity, leading to internal damage such as disbonding of the inner skin and damage to the honeycomb core, even if external signs appear minimal.

Following the safe landing, IndiGo promptly declared the aircraft “Aircraft on Ground” (AOG). Here is the statement issued by IndiGo.

IndiGo flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm en route. The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar.

The airport team attended to the customers after arrival of the aircraft, prioritizing their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post necessary inspection and maintenance.

The aircraft is currently at Srinagar Airport, having not operated a flight since.

Bottomline

The weather event caused 6E2142 to go through extreme turbulence and arrive with a broken nose cone in Srinagar. The passengers on board made it fine, however the aircraft is now AOG. This event yet again underscores the need to keep yourself belted while you are seated on a plane.

What do you make of this IndiGo event and the outcome?

---

Liked our articles and our efforts? Please pay an amount you are comfortable with; an amount you believe is the fair price for the content you have consumed. Please enter an amount in the box below and click on the button to pay; you can use Netbanking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, QR codes, or any Wallet to pay. Every contribution helps cover the cost of the content generated for your benefit.

(Important: to receive confirmation and details of your transaction, please enter a valid email address in the pop-up form that will appear after you click the ‘Pay Now’ button. For international transactions, use Paypal to process the transaction.)

We are not putting our articles behind any paywall where you are asked to pay before you read an article. We are asking you to pay after you have read the article if you are satisfied with the quality and our efforts.