DGCA Orders 'Corrective Training' For IndiGo Pilots After Srinagar Turbulence Scare
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The revised circular indicates that, based on the investigation into the incident, the flight should not have proceeded to Srinagar given the poor weather conditions.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rolled out 'corrective training" measures for the pilots operating the IndiGo Delhi-Srinagar flight (6E 2142), which faced severe turbulence on May 21 before landing safely at Srinagar airport with its nose cone damaged.
The Airbus A321, with 220 passengers on board, experienced a sudden drop of 3,875 feet, over a kilometre, in just over a minute after facing severe turbulence during a hailstorm.
'We have probed this incident. Subsequent to that, we have ordered corrective training for the pilots and also issued a revised operation circular for adverse weather operations to enhance flight safety," said a senior DGCA official.
The revised circular indicates that, based on the investigation into the incident, the flight should not have proceeded to Srinagar given the poor weather conditions.
'Flight crews are advised to maintain heightened vigilance, with an emphasis on safety taking precedence over schedule adherence. Captains are encouraged to initiate diversions or air-turn-backs, as required by prevailing conditions," the circular read.
IndiGo Srinagar Turbulence
In the aftermath of the incident, reports suggested that the aviation watchdog grounded two pilots of the airline as part of the ongoing investigation.
The DGCA said that the airline officials had requested Northern Control (IAF) for a leftward deviation toward the International Border (towards Pakistani airspace) due to poor weather conditions; however, the request was denied.
'Later, the crew contacted Lahore to enter into their airspace to avoid the weather, but the same was refused too," DGCA said.
During this period, the DGCA noted that the aircraft's rate of descent peaked at 8,500 feet per minute, and the crew manually flew the aircraft until it exited the hailstorm.
The heightened scrutiny of the IndiGo pilots also comes in the backdrop of the Air India plane crash tragedy in Ahmedabad last week, which claimed hundreds of lives.
First Published:
June 21, 2025, 16:02 IST
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