SRINAGAR: In a terrifying incident mid-air, IndiGo flight 6E 2142 from Delhi to Srinagar, carrying over 220 passengers, including five Trinamool Congress MPs, encountered a violent hailstorm on Wednesday after Pakistan’s air traffic control (ATC) refused the pilot’s emergency request to enter its airspace to avoid dangerous weather.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed on Friday that the Airbus A321 Neo aircraft, registered as VT-IMD, was cruising at 36,000 feet near Pathankot when it faced “extreme weather conditions” and was violently struck by hail. The storm caused severe turbulence, disabling the autopilot and triggering a cascade of critical system warnings. No passengers were injured, but the aircraft’s nose radome suffered visible damage.
The episode unfolded against the backdrop of rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir that killed at least 26 people. In the aftermath of the attack, both nations have shut their airspace to each other’s carriers. Caught in this diplomatic standoff, the IndiGo pilot was forced to fly directly into the storm after attempts to seek alternate routes were denied.
According to the DGCA, the flight crew initially requested permission from Indian Northern Control (under the Indian Air Force) for a deviation leftwards towards the international border to escape the storm. The request was not approved. The pilots then reached out to Lahore ATC, asking to briefly enter Pakistani airspace for the same reason. This second plea was also rejected.
With no viable alternative, the crew attempted to turn back, but rapidly approaching storm cells forced them to proceed through the weather system. They declared a “PAN PAN” — an international urgency signal — to Srinagar ATC, signifying a serious situation needing immediate attention but falling short of a full-scale “Mayday” emergency.
As the aircraft flew through the hailstorm, passengers experienced what some described as a “near-death experience.” Sagarika Ghose, one of the Trinamool MPs onboard, said, “People were screaming, praying, and panicking. I thought my life was over.” Videos from inside the plane showed panicked passengers clutching each other and praying as the aircraft violently rocked.
The other members of the Trinamool delegation included Derek O’Brien, Nadimul Haque, Manas Bhunia and Mamata Thakur. They later praised the pilot for safely navigating the aircraft through the crisis and bringing them to ground at Srinagar International Airport.
DGCA’s detailed report revealed that inside the storm, the aircraft experienced severe updrafts and downdrafts, causing a series of critical flight system failures. The autopilot disengaged, alerts of unreliable airspeed and potential stall conditions were triggered, and several system protections were lost. At one point, the aircraft’s rate of descent reached 8,500 feet per minute.
The pilots manually controlled the aircraft during this time, flying it through the storm until they exited the weather zone and re-engaged certain systems. Despite the ordeal, the aircraft landed safely with auto-thrust functioning normally. Upon landing, a walk-around inspection revealed significant damage to the nose of the aircraft.
The DGCA has launched a formal investigation into the incident. The aircraft remains grounded pending inspection and necessary maintenance. IndiGo confirmed that its crew followed all established safety protocols and that the well-being of passengers was prioritised upon landing.
This incident has raised serious concerns about aviation safety in politically sensitive air corridors. With tensions high between India and Pakistan, routine operational decisions such as weather deviations are becoming increasingly complex, potentially jeopardising passenger safety.
As one DGCA official remarked, “This incident underscores the critical need for flexible airspace protocols in emergency weather scenarios, regardless of political tensions.”
The probe is ongoing.
