Ranchi— An IndiGo aircraft suffered a tail strike while landing at Ranchi airport on Friday evening, prompting authorities to ground the plane, officials said on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 7.30 pm when the Bhubaneswar–Ranchi flight was in the final phase of landing with approximately 70 passengers on board. During touchdown, the tail of the aircraft made contact with the runway, causing a sudden jolt that was felt by passengers.
Confirming the incident, Ranchi airport Director Vinod Kumar said that although the aircraft’s tail struck the runway, all passengers remained safe and no injuries were reported. “The tail of the aircraft touched the runway during landing. Passengers experienced a sudden jolt. However, they were all safe and unharmed,” he said.
Following a technical inspection, the aircraft was declared unfit for further operations and was immediately grounded. As a result, the scheduled return flight from Ranchi to Bhubaneswar was cancelled.
Airport authorities said that some passengers chose to cancel their journeys, while others opted to reschedule their travel. A few passengers were transported to Bhubaneswar by road as alternative arrangements were made.
Further technical checks are expected to be carried out before the aircraft is cleared for operations.
