NEW DELHI: An IndiGo A321 Neo aircraft operating flight 6E-2142 from Delhi to Srinagar encountered a severe weather-related emergency mid-flight on Wednesday, prompting a PAN-PAN distress call before making a safe landing.
#BREAKING: Indigo A321 Neo flight 6E-2142 (Delhi–Srinagar) hit severe turbulence & hailstorm near Pathankot on 21 May.
Crew denied deviation by IAF & Lahore (Pakistan) ATC, forced to fly through storm.
Aircraft triggered multiple warnings; landed safely in Srinagar. No… pic.twitter.com/LOwWaK895t
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) May 23, 2025
The aircraft, registered as VT-IMD, was cruising at an altitude of FL360 when it flew into a hailstorm and experienced severe turbulence near Pathankot. According to the flight crew, a request for deviation towards the left due to adverse weather was denied by Northern control (IAF), and a subsequent attempt to enter Lahore airspace was also refused.
Initially considering a return to Delhi, the crew ultimately decided to penetrate the storm to minimize risk. While navigating through the thunderstorm cloud, the aircraft experienced multiple technical anomalie,s including warnings for Angle of Attack fault, Alternate Law protection lost, and unreliable backup speed scale. The autopilot disengaged due to powerful updrafts and downdrafts, and the aircraft’s descent rate briefly reached 8,500 feet per minute.
The flight crew manually flew the aircraft through the turbulence. Repeated stall warnings and over-speed warnings (VMO/MMO) were triggered, adding to the high-stress conditions on board.
Following all necessary emergency procedures, the crew declared a PAN-PAN to Srinagar ATC and requested radar vectors. The aircraft landed safely in Srinagar with the auto-thrust system functioning normally.
There were no injuries reported among passengers or crew. However, a post-flight inspection revealed damage to the aircraft’s nose radome, likely due to hail impact.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an investigation into the incident.
