IndiGo flight 6E925 lands safely in Lucknow after lightning strike damages nose

What happened

On Wednesday, an IndiGo Airbus A320‑251N (tail VT‑IQZ) operating flight 6E925 from Patna to Lucknow was hit by lightning while climbing to roughly 17,000 ft. The strike punctured the aircraft’s nose radome – the protective housing for the weather radar – but the crew remained unaware of any serious damage during the approach.

Details of the strike and landing

The pilots logged the lightning event with Air Traffic Control as a precaution. According to a source familiar with the matter, “the pilots were not aware of the extent of the damage the lightning had caused” and only reported the strike because they could not rule out a significant impact.

India Today notes the aircraft departed Patna at 15:10 and was scheduled to arrive in Lucknow at 16:20. It touched down at about 16:05, roughly fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. The Times of India records a scheduled arrival of 16:12 and a landing eight minutes early. Both outlets agree the aircraft landed safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, and all 104 passengers plus six crew members walked away uninjured.

Aftermath and inspections

Once parked at its gate, ground staff inspected the nose radome and confirmed visible damage confined to that section. The aircraft was then taken out of service for a thorough technical check. Officials said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been notified in line with standard operating procedures, and the plane will not resume flights until engineers certify the repairs and the DGCA issues clearance.

An airline official explained that modern airframes are built to dissipate electrical charges through the fuselage, allowing them to continue flying safely after a strike. “Lightning strikes on commercial aircraft are uncommon but not unusual. Modern aircraft are designed to safely dissipate the electrical charge through the fuselage, allowing flights to continue safely,” the source said.

Context – previous lightning incident

The Lucknow event follows a similar incident in June when an IndiGo jet parked at Kolkata airport was struck by lightning, damaging its power system. That aircraft, bound for Agartala, had 141 passengers and six crew members evacuated and later resumed service after inspections.

What passengers can expect

IndiGo arranged a replacement aircraft for the Lucknow‑bound travellers, and the affected passengers were re‑booked on a later flight that departed around 18:22. No injuries were reported, and all passengers were safely de‑planed after the aircraft reached its bay.

Safety take‑away

While lightning strikes on commercial flights remain rare, the incident underscores the robust design of modern aircraft and the importance of post‑incident inspections. The DGCA’s involvement ensures that any structural damage is fully addressed before the aircraft returns to service.