An IndiGo flight suffered a tail strike while landing at the Ranchi airport, officials said on Saturday.
The incident happened around 7.30 pm on Friday when the Bhubaneswar-Ranchi flight was landing with around 70 passengers on board, they said.
"The tail of the aircraft touched the runway during landing. Passengers experienced a sudden jolt. However, they were all safe and unharmed," Ranchi airport Director Vinod Kumar told PTI.
The plane was grounded following the incident, as it was found to be technically ineligible for takeoff, he said.
"Its next departure from Ranchi to Bhubaneswar was cancelled. Some passengers cancelled their journey, while some rescheduled their travel. Some passengers were sent to Bhubaneswar by road," he added.
IndiGo on Friday announced the appointment of an external aviation expert to review and assess the recent operational crisis.
A statement from the aviation regulator said: “...The following FOls under various categories, on contract basis, in DGCA are hereby relieved from DGCA with immediate effect to join their respective parent organisations.”
Sources confirmed that these four officials, hired on contract from the aviation sector by the DGCA, had been removed in connection with the IndiGo mayhem.
Flight operations inspectors are senior officials who are part of the DGCA’s regulatory and safety oversight regime, and are often deployed to monitor airline operations.
They ensure aviation safety by inspecting, auditing and certifying that airlines and personnel — such as pilots, dispatchers and cabin crew — do meet the regulatory standards. They are expected to oversee training, flight standards, and accident prevention measures.
