An IndiGo aircraft operating a Delhi-Gorakhpur service was grounded at Gorakhpur Airport in Uttar Pradesh after its rear section reportedly made contact with the runway during landing on August 19. According to IndiGo, the aircraft, identified in its statement as 6E 2381, conducted a go-around during its approach before landing safely.
All passengers and crew disembarked without reported injuries. A routine post-flight inspection later found scratches around the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) inlet, prompting the airline to take the aircraft out of service for maintenance.
IndiGo said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had been informed and that the aircraft would return to operations only after the required inspections and clearances.
Some media reports have identified the flight as 6E 2379, but available flight-status data lists 6E 2381 as the Delhi-Gorakhpur service, making the airline’s flight number the more reliable reference.
Aircraft Grounded For Checks
The incident occurred as the IndiGo aircraft approached Gorakhpur on August 19. The airline said the crew carried out a go-around, a standard aviation safety procedure in which a pilot abandons a landing approach and climbs away before attempting another landing.
The aircraft subsequently landed safely, allowing passengers and crew to leave normally. IndiGo has not reported any injuries, emergency evacuation or fire connected with the incident.
The airline’s statement said scratches were observed around the APU inlet during a routine inspection after the flight, following which the aircraft was grounded for maintenance. Reports describing the incident as a tail strike say the rear underside of the aircraft came into contact with the runway.
The APU is a smaller turbine unit installed in the rear section of an aircraft and is used to provide power and other services when required. Because it sits towards the tail, damage or scraping around its inlet can warrant closer inspection following a suspected tail impact.
The discovery of scratches does not, on its own, establish that the aircraft suffered serious structural damage. Instead, the aircraft must undergo the necessary technical checks to determine the extent of any damage before it can safely return to commercial operations.
Flight Number Discrepancy Explained
A key detail in the reporting of the incident is the flight number. Some reports published on August 22 identified the aircraft as 6E 2379, while IndiGo’s statement referred to 6E 2381, a Delhi-Gorakhpur service. Available flight-status information independently identifies 6E 2381 as IndiGo’s Delhi-Gorakhpur flight, including Gorakhpur’s scheduled arrivals.
The discrepancy should therefore be treated cautiously rather than presented as an established fact. For now, 6E 2381 is the flight number supported by IndiGo’s account and available route information. The airline has said the aircraft will remain grounded until the required maintenance inspections and clearances are completed.
The DGCA has also been informed about the occurrence. No separate public statement from the regulator detailing the cause of the incident or the extent of the damage was available at the time of writing. The precise circumstances that led to the tail contact, including whether weather, approach conditions, aircraft handling or another factor played a role, have not been established in the available information.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
An incident involving an aircraft can understandably cause concern among passengers, particularly when reports of a runway impact circulate before the technical facts are known. In this case, however, the immediate outcome is that the aircraft landed safely and everyone on board disembarked without reported injury.
The decision to ground the aircraft and conduct further inspections also underlines an important principle of aviation safety: when there is any possibility of damage, caution must take precedence over operational convenience. It is equally important that the cause of the incident is not assumed before technical findings are available.
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