All passengers and crew are safe. New Delhi: An IndiGo flight from Guwahati suffered a tail strike while landing at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Sunday.
Tail strike was the most frequent type of incident in 2024 and in 2025 although fatality risk remains low, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA) Safety Report.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation is probing the incident, which the airline called “an abnormal runway contact”. In line with standard operating procedures, the aircraft is undergoing maintenance checks before it resumes operations after securing necessary clearances. Tail strikes are a global phenomenon. IATA data shows tail strikes were the maximum seen non fatal incidents globally at nine, followed by landing gear issues at seven and runway excursion at six.
UK’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau says the “rate of tail strike incidents per aircraft landing for the A321 is four times greater than that for the A320 probably as a result of the smaller margin from the normal flare attitude. Damage to the structural integrity of the fuselage should not pose a significant flight risk to the aircraft provided the tailstrike is detected during or after landing.”