Passenger Recounts Terrifying Hailstorm Incident on IndiGo Flight to Srinagar | Video

Rapid Summary:

• Incident: A srinagar-bound IndiGo flight (6E 2142) from Delhi on Wednesday evening faced severe turbulence caused by a sudden hailstorm. The aircraft sustained visible damage, notably to its nose cone.
• Passenger Experience: Sami ul Lah, a passenger aboard the flight, described the situation as a “near-death experience,” with chaos in the cabin and passengers screaming and panicking as the aircraft swayed violently.
• Altitude drop: The plane descended suddenly from nearly 38,000 feet to 30,000 feet within seconds during the turbulence.
• Criticism of Airline: Passengers criticized IndiGo for continuing operations despite reported bad weather warnings near Pathankot. Some raised concerns about potential lapses in flying protocols for adverse weather conditions. Sami noted that IndiGo did not offer an apology following the scare.
• Safety measures: Prior to encountering hailstorm-induced turbulence, passengers were warned of potential rough conditions by cockpit communication advising seatbelt fastening for safety.
• Emergency Response: The pilot declared an emergency mid-air and alerted Air Traffic Control in Srinagar. All 227 passengers landed safely at around 6:30 PM.
• IndiGo Statement: IndiGo briefly acknowledged that their crew followed protocol but did not directly address passenger grievances or visibly damaged aircraft parts seen in social media footage.

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