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Indian Express
09-06-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
What happened to the IndiGo flight which lost its nose in a hailstorm last month?
On the evening of May 21, IndiGo flight 6E 2142 flying from Delhi to Srinagar experienced extreme turbulence after it was caught in a severe hailstorm. Videos shared by the passengers revealed a scary situation, with the aircraft shaking violently amid flashes of lightning in the windows. And upon landing in Srinagar, it was discovered that a large part of the Airbus A321's nose cone had suffered significant damage due to the hail. We had a narrow escape from Delhi to Srinagar flight indigo. Special thanks to the captain and cabin crew. @indigo @GreaterKashmir @RisingKashmir — I_am_aaqib (@am_aaqib) May 21, 2025 'Flight 6E 2142 encountered bad weather and a hail storm and emergency was reported by the pilot to the ATC. However, the flight landed safely at Srinagar at 8.30 pm. All Aircrfthe inew and passengers are safe,' the spokesperson of the Srinagar Airport Authority said. Thunderstorms pose a grave risk to aircraft and can result in structural failure and loss of control (LOC) accidents. Pilots go to great lengths to avoid or deviate around storm clouds, unless inevitable. Here is everything to know. Thunderstorms are cumulonimbus (CB) clouds, thousands of feet tall and hundreds of miles wide. Some thunderstorm clouds rise over 50,000 ft, well above the maximum altitude an aircraft can climb, and far higher than the ceilings of most aircraft. Types of thunderstorms * Single-cell: The cumulonimbus formation contains only a single thunderstorm cell. The formation of a thunderstorm inside a CB cloud, its maturing and finally its dissipation constitute a cell. * Multi-cell: The cumulonimbus formation contains several thunderstorm cells at different stages of formation and maturation. * Squall line: A multi-cell thunderstorm in which the cells are arranged in a long line stretching hundreds of miles. * Super-cell: A super-cell is a rotating thunderstorm, the rotating movement caused by the presence of a mesocyclone, a rising vortex of air rotating around a vertical axis. Super-cells pack the most destructive weather for flying. * Embedded thunderstorms: Embedded inside ordinary cloud decks, these can be hard to spot visually or without weather radar. Why do thunderstorms pose a threat to aircraft? Thunderstorms pack severe turbulence, hail, heavy rain, icing, lightning, downbursts, microbursts, windshear, updrafts, tornadoes, gusty winds, and engines ingest a lot of water – all of which are a hazard to flying. A thunderstorm's destructive effects can be felt 10 to 20 nautical miles from its outer edges. * Ice accumulation on wings alters their aerodynamic properties and destroys 'lift', the aerodynamic force that keeps an aircraft aloft. Ice crystals can block pitot tubes, the nozzles near an aircraft's nose that feed air to the airspeed indicator. * Lightning can damage an aircraft's skin, communication antennas, electronic navigational equipment and magnetic compass. It can also leave the pilots temporarily blind. * Downbursts, microbursts and updrafts are powerful vertical columns of air moving up or down. An aircraft flying through a downburst, microburst or updraft loses or gains altitude rapidly without pilot inputs. * Windshear is a rogue wind that rapidly changes direction. An aircraft encounters both headwind and tailwind in a windshear. Close to the ground, windshear encounters have led to several fatal air crashes. It was hail that stole the nose cone of the IndiGo A320. In his classic book The Fate is the Hunter, American aviator Ernest K Gann compared his experience of getting caught in a hailstorm with being trapped in a 'tin can' with a 'thousand machine guns' pointed at the aircraft. How does a pilot account for a thunderstorm? A mere thunderstorm warning is not enough basis for an automatic no-go decision. If all pilots of all scheduled flights along a route with a thunderstorm warning were to take a 'no-go' decision outright, it would result in the cancellation of hundreds of flights and impact passengers and airlines. Before each flight, the pilot files a flight plan with the Air Traffic Control detailing all information about the flight: The destination, the aircraft operator, fuel, weight, route, flight time, alternate airports in case of diversion, winds aloft, airspace restrictions, weather en route and at destination (including thunderstorm warning). Thus, the pilot carefully studies the weather before taking a 'go' or 'no-go' decision regarding take-off, even choosing to cancel or delay the departure when necessary. A host of weather bureaus provide weather data to pilots. Aircraft today have onboard weather radar and datalink weather, making modern jets better-equipped to divert or deviate around storms. SIGMET, or Significant Meteorological Information, reports contain warnings about hazardous weather like thunderstorms, turbulence, icing and hail. Onboard weather radar is an effective tool for storm avoidance. Scanning for precipitation, it 'paints' a picture of the weather ahead on a screen in the cockpit: Black patches indicate very light precipitation, green patches indicate light precipitation, yellow medium precipitation, red heavy precipitation and magenta extreme precipitation or turbulence. However, it cannot detect a storm cell hiding behind heavy rain. Every Airbus aircraft is equipped with an Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM), which displays engine and aircraft system information to pilots along with audio alerts, including system failures and corrective actions to be followed. The Airbus computer operates under three flight control laws. Essentially, when an Airbus is flying under Alternate or Direct Law, the flight is warning its pilots: 'Now be careful with what you do, as my ability to automatically keep the aircraft safe has been reduced.' The pilots of the IndiGo flight, 6E 2142, were confident they could steer the plane away from the path of the thunderstorm. To deviate, they first sought permission from the Indian Air Force's Northern Area Control Centre (NACC) to fly towards the India-Pakistan International Border (IB), which the IAF refused. The Indian Express had cited IAF sources who said that the NACC's directive was 'within the frame of the ban on Indian aircraft in Pakistani airspace'. A request to Lahore ATC to permit a brief entry into Pakistani airspace to bypass the storm was also turned down. The pilots considered turning back, since the flight was likely experiencing the effects of the thunderstorm. 'Crew initially attempted to turn back, but as they were close to the thunderstorm cloud, they decided to penetrate the weather,' the DGCA said in a statement. It is generally not recommended to turn back once inside a storm, as turns can overstress the airframe. Flying straight ahead and 'riding the storm' is the best bet to reach smooth air in minimum time. Inside the storm, the A320 was tossed up and down by severe updrafts and downdrafts, climbing and descending wildly on its own. A severe hailstorm pried out the nose cone protecting the weather radar, which is designed to detect inclement weather. This rendered the radar unusable, with the readings of cockpit gauges exceeding their design limits and likely becoming unreliable and unreadable. The IndiGo crew received multiple fault warnings about aircraft systems, including 'Angle of Attack' fault, 'Alternate Law' loss, unreliable speed, stall and overspeed warnings. It is likely that many of the warning messages the IndiGo pilots received were false alarms. But if they lost Alternate Law protection, it definitely increased their workload at a critical time. Despite the scary scenes, the loss of the aircraft's nose did not pose a direct threat to the passengers within the plane. The passenger cabin is essentially a sealed, pressurised tube, and the hole was outside of this area.
Mint
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Omar Abdullah invokes Faiz's iconic couplet on hope to draw tourists back to Kashmir: ‘Lambi hai gham ki shaam'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on 28 May chaired a meeting of administrative secretaries and other top officials in Gulmarg health resort as part of his governmentís efforts to bring back tourists to Kashmir after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. The visit came a day after he held a symbolic cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, the site of the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Abdullah is leading from the front the campaign for revival of tourism in the Valley, which was hit by the unprecedented terror attack. The chief minister's visits have infused a new hope among stakeholders and increased the chances of a turnaround after the tourist season this year was washed out due to the terror attack. In Gulmarg, speaking with media, Abdullah also quoted a couplet of Pakistani Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, 'Dil na umeed to nahi, nakaam hi to hai, lambi hai gham ki shaam, magar shaam hi to hai,' as he tried to explain why optimism is pivotal in adversity. 'These lines, which I also quoted at the recent NITI Aayog meeting, serve as a reminder that even in dark times, hope must prevail. What happened recently marks one of the most difficult phases in recent years, but we have endured worse over the past four decades and always found a way to bounce back,' Abdullah was quoted as saying by local newspaper Greater Kashmir. The couplet loosely translates to: 'The heart is not hopeless, just defeated for now. The evening of sorrow is long, but after all — it is only an evening' Born in British Punjab (now in Narowal District, Pakistan), Faiz was considered one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time. His revolutionary ideas remain widely influential in Pakistan and beyond. People who analysed his work often say that it was difficult to differentiate if Faiz's beloved in his Ghazals is his country or a person. Urdu poetry lovers cite this and other couplet as an examplify Faiz's ability to blend sorrow with resilience. The 'Dil Na Umeed to Nahi..' line is actually a couplet from Faiz's famous Ghazal 'Hum par tumhari chaah ka ilzam hi to hai…(All I am accused of is loving you)' that he wrote in 1954 while in Rawalpindi's Montgomery prison. On March 9, 1951, Faiz was arrested with a group of army officers under the Safety Act, and charged with the failed coup attempt against Liaqat Ali Khan's government that became known as the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case. He was sentenced to death and spent four years in prison before being released After chairing the meeting at the Gulmarg Club on 29 April nestled in the meadows and surrounded by mighty pine trees and sparsely snow-clad mountains, Abdullah took a Gondola (cable car) ride to Kongdori, a bowl-shaped area that lies between Gulmarg and the summit of Apharwat mountain range where the first phase of the ropeway ends. At Kongdori, a group of tourists from Gujarat and Mumbai requested the chief minister's security detail for a meeting with Abdullah. The chief minister promptly acknowledged the request. He met the tourists with warm hand shakes and smile, and sought from them feedback about their Kashmir visit. Abdullah lauded the courage of the tourists, and happily posed for photographs and selfies with them. The chief minister appealed to the tourists to promote the Valley as a safe and peaceful destination. The visitors expressed gratitude for Kashmir's hospitality. They lauded the government for the arrangements that made their stay comfortable. The visits by Abdullah are seen as an effort counter the "boycott Kashmir" campaign. "Terrorists also want this, that you don't go to Kashmir. Those people are enemies of this country. They are not only enemies of Kashmir, they are enemies of the country. Of India. They are enemies of India who are running such a campaign. Because they are doing the same work as the terrorists did on April 22," Abdullah told NDTV. Two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack, India on 7 May conducted precision strikes on at least nine terror camps in Pakistan in what is now known as 'Operation Sindoor'. India and Pakistan indulged in four days of military action post Operation Sindoor. The two nations agreed on an understanding to halt military action on 10 May. The CM also said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi could convene a meeting to review tourism in J&K and tour operators from Maharashtra and Gujarat could visit the region voluntarily, not because they were invited, but because they want to contribute to the normalisation process. 'Then it was imperative for the J&K government to take the matching steps,' he said. Dil na umeed to nahi, nakaam hi to hai, lambi hai gham ki shaam, magar shaam hi to hai.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Delhi-Srinagar IndiGo flight turbulence: Passengers scream, pray as cabin shakes violently; dramatic videos capture panic. WATCH
Delhi To Srinagar IndiGo Flight Turbulence Video: Amid heavy rain and a hailstorm in Delhi on Wednesday evening, an IndiGo flight en route to Srinagar encountered severe turbulence and weather-related damage. The aircraft's nose cone was impacted during the rough conditions, but it landed safely, confirmed Srinagar Airport director Javed Anjum. Dramatic videos recorded by passengers onboard Flight 6E 2142 have since gone viral, leaving the Internet stunned. In one widely shared clip from inside the cabin, the aircraft can be seen shaking violently as it gets caught in the storm. Passengers, including children, are heard screaming and crying in fear, with flashes of lightning visible through the windows. Several voices are heard praying aloud as the turbulence intensifies, capturing the panic and helplessness felt mid-air. Watch here: We had a narrow escape from Delhi to Srinagar flight indigo. Special thanks to the captain and cabin crew. @indigo @GreaterKashmir @RisingKashmir — I_am_aaqib (@am_aaqib) May 21, 2025 Passenger Sheikh Samiullah told PTI that he feared the worst during the flight. 'I was onboard the IndiGo flight and everything seemed normal at first, until the pilot suddenly announced we were heading into a rough patch and asked us to fasten our seatbelts,' he recalled. 'I'm a frequent flyer, but I've never experienced turbulence like that. It was terrifying. I'm truly grateful to the pilot for bringing us down safely,' he said. Watch: Heart's still racing, but I feel like I've been reborn. Grateful to Allah. — Sheikh Samiullah (@_iamsamiullah) May 21, 2025 Another passenger, Owais Maqbool Hakeem, reacted to a post sharing the news. 'I was in this flight …. We just landed and it's a miracle we Landed,' he wrote. I was in this flight …. We just landed and it's a miracle we Landed … 😭😭 — Owais Maqbool Hakeem (@owaismaqbool) May 21, 2025 Along with an image of the damaged IndiGo airplane, Ubair Shah, another passenger, shared his experience on X. 'The situation was so intense even some crew members were in tears. Grateful to the pilot for regaining control,' Shah wrote. Experienced extreme turbulence on @IndiGo6E flight 6E2142 from Delhi-Srinagar today — sudden drop of ~3900 ft mid-air. The situation was so intense even some crew members were in tears. Grateful to the pilot for regaining control. A flight I'll never forget. #IndiGo @DGCAIndia — Ubair Shah (@shahubair) May 21, 2025 According to live flight tracking platform Flightradar24, the aircraft landed in Srinagar on schedule at 6:30 PM. In an official statement, IndiGo said, 'IndiGo flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered a sudden hailstorm en route. The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol, and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar.'
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Leading newspapers in Kashmir print front page black to condemn Pahalgam terror attack
Leading English and Urdu language newspapers in Jammu and Kashmir printed their front pages in black to protest the terror attack that killed 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam. Publications including Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzma, Aftab and Taimeel Irshad changed their formats to strike a symbolic message to the masses. The publications also carried powerful headlines in white or red as a powerful public display of solidarity and grief with those affected by the attack. Follow live updates on Pahalgam terror attack Rising Kashmir's lead headline in white read, 'TERROR STRIKES PAHALGAM,' with a subhead, '27 civilians, mostly tourists, massacred in deadly terror attack.' The letter 'O' in the word 'TERROR' was printed as an image of a bleeding gunshot wound. Greater Kashmir printed 'Gruesome: Kashmir Gutted, Kashmiris Grieving,' in white on a black layout. The subhead printed in red read, '26 killed in deadly terror attack in Pahalgam.' Also read | Omar Abdullah hails slain 'ponnywallah' who tried snatching rifle from terrorist to save tourists The paper also carried an editorial with the headline 'The massacre in the meadow - Protect Kashmir's soul.' The column said the attack has cast a dark shadow over J-K, a region striving to reclaim its legacy as a 'Paradise on Earth.' 'This heinous act is not merely an assault on innocent lives but a deliberate blow to Kashmir's identity and values -- its hospitality, its economy, and its fragile peace. Kashmir's soul stands in unequivocal condemnation of this brutality and offers heartfelt condolences to the victims' families, who sought beauty but found tragedy,' the editorial read. Also read | 'He lived a good life': Wife of Navy officer who died in Pahalgam attack The publication noted that terrorists could strike a high-traffic tourist spot, which is accessible only on foot or by pony. The editorial said the attack 'signals a need for sharper intelligence and tighter coordination among agencies, the paper called for proactive measures -- enhanced vigilance, community engagement, and uprooting terrorism -- which are imperative to prevent such horrors from recurring.' 'Kashmir's people have endured violence for too long, yet their spirit remains unbroken. This attack must not sow division but unite us in defiance of terror. We urge all -- government, security forces, civil society, and citizens -- to forge a collective front,' it said.
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Business Standard
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Black front pages, valley shutdown as Kashmir protests Pahalgam attack
Several newspapers across Kashmir on Wednesday printed their front pages entirely black as a gesture of mourning and protest against the brutal terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives in Pahalgam a day earlier. This is also the first time in 35 years that the Kashmir Valley saw a complete shutdown in protest of the Pahalgam terror attack. Kashmiri newspapers print black pages Leading English and Urdu dailies such as Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzma, Aftab, and Taimeel Irshad set aside their usual formats in a symbolic act of solidarity with the victims, condemning the violence. The papers were printed with white or red headlines against black backgrounds, reflecting the sorrow and outrage of the region. ALSO READ | 'Gruesome: Kashmir Gutted, Kashmiris Grieving', read the front page of Greater Kashmir, accompanied by a poignant subheadline in red: '26 killed in deadly terror attack in Pahalgam'. Its editorial titled 'The massacre in the meadow – Protect Kashmir's soul' described the incident as not only an assault on lives, but a strike at the very identity and values of the region, which are based in its hospitality, peace, and economy. Shops, petrol stations, and other commercial establishments remained closed in Srinagar, except for those selling essentials. Public transport was limited, although private vehicles continued to operate. All private schools across Jammu and Kashmir were closed for the day, and Kashmir University postponed scheduled exams. Government schools, however, remained open. Political parties, trade groups back shutdown Several political parties and organisations backed the shutdown, including the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples' Conference, and Apni Party. The Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also called for a peaceful protest. Tourism and trade associations such as the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation voiced their outrage and stood in support of the bandh. KTMF strongly condemns the tragic senseless incident at Pahalgam. Violence has no place in our society,peace and safety must prevail for all. We stand united in grief and pray for peace to prevail in the region. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. — Kashmir Traders & Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) (@KTMF16) April 22, 2025 ALSO READ | UP police on high alert after Pahalgam terror attack; security stepped up Security heightened in Pahalgam Security has been significantly heightened across the region. Armed forces were deployed at sensitive locations, tourist hubs, and key infrastructure points. Checkpoints were set up across Srinagar and other district centres, with thorough vehicle and pedestrian checks underway. A massive search operation is also ongoing in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam to trace those responsible for the attack, as additional forces have been stationed at the popular tourist destination to prevent any further incidents.
