Indigo flight takes off within seconds of landing, passengers panic

An Indigo aircraft caused panic among passengers on Monday night when the flight abruptly took off within seconds of landing, this may be the first time the airline has done so

Shortly after landing at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, IndiGo Flight 6E 6056 abruptly ascended back into the sky on Monday night, causing a moment of panic for passengers aboard.

The incident took place during what was expected to be a routine landing at 9:15 pm, leaving passengers surprised and confused by the unexpected sequence of touchdown and takeoff.

For the passengers aboard the IndiGo Airlines flight from Chandigarh to Ahmedabad this was a terrifying experience on Monday night.

Neel Thakkar, a Vadodara resident and one of the passengers on Flight 6E 6056, shared his account with the Times of India. According to him, the plane began descending around 8:45 pm, but just as its wheels touched the ground, the pilot suddenly pulled up, and the flight became airborne again. The passengers became anxious as they couldn't comprehend what had transpired. The aircraft remained in the air for about 20 more minutes before finally landing.

Thakkar expressed concern for the safety of over 100 passengers, stating that this "unexpected maneuver" put their lives at risk. He sent an email to the airline, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

In his email, Thakkar mentioned that he approached the pilot for an explanation upon arrival. The pilot, identified as Jagdip Singh, allegedly attributed the incident to a routine communication issue and stated that the airline did not have clearance from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) to land the aircraft.

Thakkar questioned how the aircraft could have landed without ATC clearance and informed the Times of India that he had consulted the duty manager of IndiGo Airlines. The duty manager advised him to send an email to the relevant authorities to initiate an inquiry. Thakkar emphasised the need for a thorough investigation to be carried out.

The India Herald had reported a similar incident in 2019, when IndiGo airline flight 6e7219 from Madurai to Bangalore, landed and then took off again, only to hover in the air for 20 minutes before re-landing. According to the report, the pilot cited “prevalence of crosswinds” by way of explanation.

As per reports, the aircraft was almost close to landing but took off again and later landed safely.

In a statement on Wednesday, IndiGo said its flight 6E 6056 operating from Chandigarh to Ahmedabad experienced tailwinds at landing at Ahmedabad airport.

"Keeping the passengers' safety in mind, the Captain performed a go-around and the aircraft landed safely a short while later at Ahmedabad. A passenger announcement was also made by the captain to keep all passengers informed," it said.

Details about the number of passengers were not available.

(with Agency inputs)