Chaos In The Sky: IndiGo Flight Plunges 8,500 Feet In A Minute As Pakistan Denies Airspace

The Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo flight 6E-2142, which survived a threatening hailstorm midair on May 21, had first asked the northern air traffic control (managed by the Indian Air Force) for permission to turn towards Pakistan to escape bad weather.

However, after permission was denied, the pilot then contacted Lahore, but the neighbouring country turned it down, putting the lives of all onboard at risk, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

When the pilot was left with no other option, he had to continue flying and successfully landed the aircraft in Srinagar. However, the flight, which carried over 220 people, including TMC MPs, suffered heavy damage on its nose due to the storm.

IndiGo Flight’s Dangerous Freefall
While flying through the thunderstorm, the plane faced strong turbulence and was hit by powerful upward and downward air currents, known as “updrafts and downdrafts.” This caused the autopilot to switch off and led to sudden changes in the aircraft’s speed. As the pilot carried on the onward journey, the aircraft’s rate of descent reached 8,500 ft/min(feet per minute) and had to be flown manually till it exited the storm. The dangerous turn of events led to panic among passengers in the aircraft as they screamed and prayed for safety. Several videos showing the traumatic experiences of passengers surfaced on social media.

Pakistan has shut its airspace for Indian flights. India closed its airspace for Pakistani carriers after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

What Happened Midair On May 21?
According to the DGCA statement, the flight was at an altitude of nearly 36,000 feet near Punjab’s Pathankot when it was struck by a hailstorm followed by severe turbulence.

As trouble rose, the pilot first sought permission from the northern air traffic control to turn towards the international border – where tensions were at their peak during Operation Sindoor between May 7 and 10 – to avoid the storm. However, the request was denied.

“As per crew statement, they requested Northern control (IAF) for deviation towards left (International Border) due to weather on the route, however, it was not approved,” the statement said.

The crew then sought permission to enter the Pakistani airspace, however, they dismissed the request, putting Indian lives in danger.

“…Crew contacted Lahore to enter into their airspace to avoid the weather, but the same was refused too,” the statement said.

The flight attempted to return, however they decided to penetrate the weather due to their proximity to the thunderstorm cloud.

How Did The Flight Land?
After the request was denied, the pilot chose to continue towards Srinagar using the shortest possible route, even though it meant flying through the storm.

That resulted in “updrafts and downdrafts” movement of the flight.

“As a result, Maximum Operating Speed/Maximum operating Mach (VMO/MMO) warnings and repeated stall warnings were triggered,” DGCA said.

It was this time when the plane’s rate of descent touched 8,500 fpm.

“After carrying out all checklist actions (ECAM actions), the crew declared ‘PAN PAN’ to Srinagar ATC and requested for RADAR vectors and made a safe landing with Auto Thrust operating normally,” the statement said.