IndiGo flight to Lucknow suffers nose damage due to lightning, lands safely

An IndiGo flight from Patna to Lucknow made an emergency landing after lightning struck it at an altitude of 17,000 feet. All 104 passengers, including the crew, are reported to be safe

Passengers aboard an IndiGo flight from Patna to Lucknow on Wednesday had a narrow escape after lightning hit the plane at an altitude of 17,000 feet, NDTV reported.

 

The flight headed for Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport had to make an emergency landing. All 104 passengers and six crew members aboard were safe.

 

The IndiGo flight 6E925 managed to land safely despite the lightning strike reportedly damaging the nose of the plane, landing eight minutes ahead of its scheduled 4:12 pm arrival time.

 

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has launched a probe into the incident, according to the report.

 

 

"IndiGo flight 6E 625 operating from Patna to Lucknow on 07 October 2026 encountered unfavourable weather, including a hailstorm while landing, resulting in damage to the radome. The aircraft landed safely, and all customers disembarked at their destination," NDTV cited an Indigo spokesperson as saying.

 

The airline said the aircraft will undergo necessary maintenance and will resume operations after securing relevant clearances.

 

Pilots unaware of damage before landing

 

Airport sources quoted by The Times of India said the damage to the aircraft was only noticed when the aircraft, an Airbus A320-251N (tail registration VT-IQZ), had exited the runway and rested at its bay.

 

"As per the initial information, the pilots were not aware of the extent of the damage the lightning had caused. They had reported the lightning strike to Air Traffic Control (ATC) as a precaution because they themselves were not sure whether the aircraft had suffered any significant impact during the flight,” the source said.

 

The aircraft's nose radome, which was hit by the lightning, houses the weather radar and is designed to withstand such strikes. Engineers at the Lucknow airport are expected to conduct a thorough inspection of the plane and execute the necessary repairs. The aircraft will be cleared for normal operations after comprehensive DGCA inspections are completed.