Mid-air scare: Indigo flight from Madurai to Chennai develops crack on windshield

Chennai: In a mid-air scare, an Indigo flight from Madurai to Chennai developed a crack on its cockpit windshield but prompt handling of the situation ensured a successful landing at the airport.

The ATR aircraft with 74 passengers and five crew members on board took off AT 10.07 pm and was scheduled to arrive at 11.30 pm. However, while airborne, the pilot noticed a crack on the side section of the front windshield and contacted the Chennai Air Traffic Control (ATC) and sought for a priority landing after explaining the problem.

The Chennai Airport swung into action and made arrangements for an emergency landing. The flight touched down at the airport here at 11.12 pm, 18 minutes ahead of schedule.

Airport sources said the aircraft was taxied to a remote bay, where all passengers were safely deboarded and transported to the domestic terminal by IndiGo ground staff.

Since the windshield was damaged, the aircraft was taken for maintenance and a replacement flight was used to operate the Chennai-Kozhikode flight at 5.20 am on Saturday.

After the safe landing, passengers thanked the pilot for his alertness and ensuring their safety.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a detailed inquiry to ascertain the cause of the crack and ensure all safety protocols are met before the aircraft is put into service again.