IndiGo Srinagar flight crew's request to enter Pakistani airspace to avoid turbulence was rejected

In a detailed statement about the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said there was no injury to any passengers who were on the flight and that the aircraft's 'nose radome' was damaged.

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Friday said the ill-fated Delhi-Srinagar Indigo flight earlier this week, was refused permission to alter its course and move towards western border because of a notice from Pakistan declaring its airspace unavailable for Indian aircraft.

Sources said the IAF provided the contact frequency of Lahore airport to the civil aircraft pilots for “overflight weather diversion request” but such a request was denied by Pakistan authorities.

Left with little options, the pilots decided to fly into the storm and encountered “hailstom and severe turbulence” but had managed to land the aircraft with more than 220 people onboard at Srinagar with a broken nose.

At one point of time, the aircraft descended at a rate of 8500 ft per minute, which is nearly three times the normal rate of descent.

Since New Delhi launched Operation Sindoor a month ago to strike nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pak occupied Kashmir, Islamabad closed its airspace for Indian aircraft and New Delhi reciprocated. On Friday, India extended the NOTAM (notice to airmen) by one more month (up to June 23) closing the airspace for Pakistani aircraft.

On May 21, Indigo’s A321Neo aircraft (6E-2142 Delhi-Srinagar flight) was cruising at an altitude of 36,000 ft when it faced hailstorm and severe turbulence near Pathankot.

“As per the crew statement, they requested Northern Control (IAF) for deviation towards the left (international border) due to weather on the route. However, it was not approved,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

Later the pilots contacted Lahore to enter into their airspace to avoid the weather but the same was refused too.

The pilots’ options were either return to Delhi or divert to Amritsar, but realising they were close to the thunderstorm, they decided to penetrate the weather. “In such situation the best decision is always with the captain,” said an official.

The aircraft faced violent turbulence and lost altitude, but the pilots decided to stay on course to exit the adverse weather by the shortest route and touched down safely at Srinagar.

“Once Lahore refused overflight clearance, and the aircraft proceeded towards Srinagar, the flight was subsequently professionally assisted till a safe-landing at Srinagar airfield by giving control vectors and ground speed readouts,” IAF sources said.

The DGCA said due to the updraft and downdraft encountered by the aircraft, the autopilot tripped causing wide variation in speed compelling the pilots to fly the aircraft manually till they exited the hailstorm.

“There was no injury to any of the passengers on-board the flight. Post flight walk around revealed damage to the nose radome. The matter is under investigation by the DGCA,” the civil aviation regulator said.