IndiGo Flight Hit by Lightning at 17,000 Feet, Nose Damaged; 110 On Board Safe in Lucknow

October 8, 2026

Lucknow: An IndiGo flight operating from Patna to Lucknow was struck by lightning at an altitude of around 17,000 feet on Wednesday amid adverse weather conditions, leaving the aircraft’s nose damaged. All 104 passengers and six crew members on board were safe.

IndiGo flight 6E925 took off from Patna airport at around 3:10 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Lucknow at 4:12 p.m. The aircraft landed normally at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at around 4:04 p.m., about eight minutes ahead of schedule.

The damage to the aircraft’s nose was noticed by airport personnel after the plane had landed and reached its designated parking bay. The possibility of the aircraft encountering lightning during adverse weather conditions is being examined as part of the preliminary assessment.

Aircraft grounded after nose damage

Following the incident, the aircraft was declared Aircraft on Ground (AOG) and grounded at Lucknow for a detailed technical inspection. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was informed about the incident.

The visible damage was confined to the aircraft’s nose radome, which houses and protects the weather radar system. The aircraft will resume operations only after the necessary technical checks, repairs and regulatory clearances.

An airport official said the incident did not involve an emergency landing and that the aircraft landed normally. IndiGo said the flight encountered unfavourable weather, including a hailstorm, while landing, resulting in damage to the radome.

Passengers continue journey to Ahmedabad

The aircraft was scheduled to operate IndiGo flight 6E6968 from Lucknow to Ahmedabad after completing the Patna-Lucknow service.

As the aircraft was grounded, IndiGo arranged another aircraft for the passengers. The replacement flight departed for Ahmedabad at around 6:22 p.m., allowing the passengers to continue their journey.

Earlier IndiGo aircraft incidents

The latest incident comes months after another IndiGo aircraft was struck by lightning while parked at Kolkata airport during a thunderstorm on June 19. The incident affected the aircraft’s power system, after which passengers and crew were deboarded and the passengers were later flown to Agartala on another aircraft.

Last month, a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight from Guwahati also experienced abnormal runway contact during a second landing attempt at Kempegowda International Airport amid gusty weather. The aircraft was subsequently taken for maintenance checks.