IndiGo A321neo grounded after tail impact during landing at Gorakhpur

LUCKNOW: An IndiGo Airbus A321neo was grounded at Gorakhpur airport on Wednesday after suffering a tail impact during its landing approach. The aircraft, operating flight 6E 2381 from Delhi to Gorakhpur, performed two go-arounds before landing safely on the third attempt at around 3:43 pm.

The aircraft, an Airbus A321-252NX bearing registration VT-ILR, was delivered to IndiGo in August 2021. In a statement, the airline said the flight carried out a go-around during the landing approach in the interest of safety. The aircraft subsequently returned and landed safely at Gorakhpur airport. All passengers and crew members disembarked safely.

“During a regular post-flight walk-around, scratches were observed around the APU inlet. The aircraft is undergoing maintenance and will resume operations after the necessary clearances,” the airline said. The aircraft has remained grounded at Gorakhpur airport since the incident.

A senior official at Gorakhpur airport said the technical issue linked to the tail impact had been resolved. The aircraft was likely to depart on Saturday, pending required technical and regulatory clearance before being released for service.

A tail impact refers to contact involving the aircraft’s tail or rear structure with a surface or object. During landing, such contact can occur if the aircraft’s nose is raised excessively during the flare, causing the rear fuselage or tail cone to come close to or touch the runway. The term is broader than “tail strike” and can also include contact with ground equipment, hangar structures, maintenance platforms or other obstacles.

In this case, scratches were observed around the APU inlet, an air intake located in the aft fuselage or tail-cone area. The inlet supplies outside air to the Auxiliary Power Unit, or APU. The APU is a small turbine engine that can provide electrical power when the main engines are shut down. It can also supply pneumatic air for engine starting and, when available, cabin air-conditioning and other aircraft systems.

Sources noted that the Airbus A321’s extended fuselage makes it more vulnerable to tail impacts. The A321neo has an overall length of 44.51 metres, longer than most aircraft in its single-aisle category. “The APU inlet is part of the aircraft’s external fuselage structure, but it is not the fuselage itself. Any damage in this area may involve the inlet grille, surrounding fuselage skin, ducting or supporting structure. Such areas are inspected after a suspected tail impact before the aircraft is permitted to fly again,” an official source said.