Now Reading: IndiGo A321 grounded after runway scrape at Gorakhpur
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IndiGo A321 grounded after runway scrape at Gorakhpur
An IndiGo Airbus A321neo has been grounded after its fuselage scraped the runway while landing at Gorakhpur earlier this week, India Today reports. The incident came to light on August 19, and the aircraft’s last recorded flight was from Delhi to Gorakhpur. India Today reports that a probe has been ordered, citing sources.
The Hindu reports that the incident is at least the eighth tail-strike involving IndiGo’s A321 fleet and at least the 10th involving an IndiGo aircraft since 2023. It says the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau began a broader probe after repeated A321 incidents, but no findings have been made public. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation fined IndiGo Rs. 30 lakh in January 2024 after finding systemic deficiencies in operations, training and engineering procedures. Airbus has since revised A321 training guidance on landing flare height. IndiGo has been contacted for comment.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The two reports differ mainly in depth, not in the core account. India Today leads with the grounding and the reported probe, while The Hindu places the event within a longer record of tail-strikes and earlier regulatory action. The Hindu’s use of industry sources gives useful context, but its incident count is not official data and IndiGo’s response was still pending. The government’s safety response is also incomplete in the public record, since the AAIB probe has produced no published findings. Readers should watch for IndiGo’s explanation and the AAIB’s conclusions on the repeated A321 incidents.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): thehindu.com (government critical), indiatoday.in (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
