An IndiGo flight from Bangkok encountered a tail strike while attempting to land at Mumbai airport on Saturday, August 16. This incident led the aircraft to abort its landing and make a second approach before successfully touching down. The Airbus A321, designated as Flight 6E 1060, was affected by adverse weather conditions during its initial descent. According to the airline, the aircraft’s tail made contact with the runway during a go-around, which is a maneuver to abort landing at a low altitude. Fortunately, it landed without any further complications.
A low-altitude go-around typically occurs when pilots opt to abort landing moments before touchdown, often due to unstable approaches, obstacles on the runway, or poor weather. Despite being a standard procedure in aviation, tail strikes can be concerning as they may inflict structural damage on critical components at the rear of an aircraft, such as the pressure bulkhead.
This marks the seventh tail strike incident reported in IndiGo’s Airbus A321 fleet over the past two years. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has previously penalized the airline for such incidents. In 2023, IndiGo was fined ₹30 lakh after recording four tail strike occurrences in a six-month span. The DGCA also suspended two pilots following a tail strike in Ahmedabad and initiated an investigation into another event involving a Delhi-Bengaluru flight.
The aircraft involved in Saturday’s incident has been grounded for inspection as authorities continue to scrutinize IndiGo’s safety protocols.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/india/flights-tail-landing-at-mumbai-airport-hits-runway-narrowly-avoids-disaster
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2025-08-16 20:59:00
