NEW DELHI, May 23: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has initiated an investigation into a dangerous mid-air emergency involving IndiGo flight 6E-2142 from Delhi to Srinagar, which encountered severe turbulence and hailstorm conditions after being denied permission to divert through Pakistani airspace.
The Airbus A321 Neo was cruising at 36,000 feet near Pathankot on Wednesday when the crew requested a leftward deviation from Northern Control to avoid dangerous weather ahead. According to DGCA officials, the request was denied. Seeking an alternative, the flight crew contacted Lahore ATC for emergency clearance to enter Pakistani airspace, which was also refused.
Left with no clear route around the storm and unable to turn back due to surrounding thunderclouds, the pilots proceeded through the turbulent zone. The aircraft was battered by a hailstorm, triggering multiple system warnings and creating chaos in the cabin.
“The aircraft experienced loss of autopilot, unreliable airspeed indications, and warnings including stall alerts, Alternate Law reversion, and Angle of Attack faults,” a DGCA official said. “At one point, the descent rate reached up to 8,500 feet per minute.”
Videos recorded by passengers show scenes of panic, with people screaming and the cabin violently shaking. A photo of the aircraft’s nose, visibly shattered by hail impact, has also gone viral on social media, raising concerns about flight safety.
Despite the intense weather and onboard failures, the flight crew manually regained control of the aircraft, followed emergency protocols, and declared a “PAN-PAN” emergency — a radio signal used to indicate an urgent situation that is not immediately life-threatening. The aircraft landed safely in Srinagar, and no injuries were reported among passengers or crew.
Post-landing inspections revealed significant damage to the aircraft’s radome, the nose section housing weather radar systems. IndiGo confirmed that its autothrust systems remained functional during the emergency landing and assured full cooperation with the DGCA inquiry.
The regulator’s investigation will focus on adherence to safety procedures, the aircraft’s handling during the crisis, and coordination with air traffic control, including the denial of airspace access by both Indian and Pakistani authorities.
The incident has also renewed scrutiny over real-time coordination between civil and military air traffic controllers in India, and highlighted the risks of airspace restrictions during emergencies.
