 "Panic, chaos & prayers: Inside IndiGo’s Delhi-Srinagar flight that landed with ‘broken nose’")
Panic and screams broke out on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Srinagar after it encountered severe turbulence on Wednesday due to stormy weather.
The flight, with over 220 passengers on board, declared an emergency to Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Srinagar following the rough conditions.
Videos shared on social media showed passengers in distress, with many heard offering religious prayers as the plane shook mid-air.
Notably, the aircraft’s nose suffered minor damage due to the unexpected hailstorm.
In this explainer, we go through what happened during the flight, how the nose of the aircraft was damaged, and how the sudden weather change affected the Delhi-NCR region on Wednesday evening.
Let’s take a look:
What happened on IndiGo’s Delhi-Srinagar flight?
The IndiGo flight from Delhi to Srinagar, carrying more than 220 people, faced turbulence caused by the hailstorm. The pilot reported an “emergency” to air traffic control in Srinagar.
Videos of the frightening incident have been widely shared on social media, showing passengers screaming, crying, and praying as the aircraft shook mid-air.
Chaos spread across the cabin as overhead bins rattled and passengers held onto their seats in panic.
VIDEO | Inside visuals of Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi that suffered mid-air turbulence due to severe weather conditions. The pilot declared an "emergency" to air traffic control in Srinagar. The aircraft later landed safely and has since been grounded, officials… pic.twitter.com/v1zp1VbW9J
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 21, 2025
Several reports indicated that the aircraft’s nose was damaged, likely due to the severe weather conditions during the flight.
An official from the Airport Authority of India said, “IndiGo flight 6E2142 enroute Delhi to Srinagar experienced bad weather (hail storm), emergency reported by Pilot to ATC SXR (Srinagar).”
He added that the plane landed safely in Srinagar at 6.30 pm.
“All aircrew and 227 passengers are safe and the flight is declared AOG by the airline,” he told PTI.
AOG, or Aircraft on Ground, means the aircraft has been temporarily grounded and cannot operate until safety or technical checks are completed.
IndiGo also released a statement confirming the incident and assured that the flight landed safely.
“IndiGo flight 6E 2142 operating from Delhi to Srinagar encountered sudden hailstorm en route. The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar. The airport team attended to the customers after arrival of the aircraft, prioritising their wellbeing and comfort. The aircraft will be released post necessary inspection and maintenance,” the statement read.
Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were also on board the flight, including Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien, Sagarika Ghose, Md Nadimul Haque and Mamata Thakur.
The four are part of a TMC delegation visiting Srinagar, Poonch and Rajouri to show support for people affected by cross-border attacks.
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Was the aircraft’s nose damaged? What did the passengers say?
While IndiGo did not confirm any damage to the aircraft, a widely shared image on social media appeared to show part of the aircraft’s nose broken, possibly due to the impact of the turbulence.
Indigo flight 6E-2142 from Delhi to Srinagar got caught in a severe hailstorm.
— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) May 21, 2025
The flight landed safely and all passangers are safe.
Hailstorm was so severe that it damaged the plane's nose cone. pic.twitter.com/E0BioVa8tF
Several passengers also said the nose of the plane was damaged.
Owais Maqbool Hakeem wrote on X, “It was a near-death experience… the nose of the plane is damaged.”
In a separate post, he added, “The Nose and Right side of the plane was damaged… And we were not allowed to see much as airforce police was there.”
TMC’s Sagarika Ghose told PTI, “It was a near-death experience. I thought my life was over. People were screaming, praying and panicking. Hats off to the pilot who brought us through that. When we landed we saw the nose of the plane had blown up.”
Another passenger, Sheikh Samiullah, told PTI that he feared the plane might crash.
VIDEO | Here's what Sheikh Samiullah, a passenger aboard IndiGo flight 6E 2142 from Delhi to Srinagar, said after the aircraft was suddenly caught in a hailstorm.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 21, 2025
"I was onboard the IndiGo flight when everything seemed normal, until the pilot suddenly announced a rough patch… pic.twitter.com/Gam7yM776j
“I was onboard the IndiGo flight when everything seemed normal, until the pilot suddenly announced a rough patch ahead and asked us to fasten our seatbelts. I’m a frequent flyer, but I’ve never experienced turbulence like this. It was terrifying. I’m truly grateful to the pilot for landing us safely,” he said.
Another passenger mentioned that about 20 to 30 minutes before reaching Srinagar, an announcement was made to fasten seatbelts due to expected turbulence.
“Within two to three minutes of the announcement, there was so much turbulence that all felt it will be our last flight… I am a frequent flyer but I have never experienced such turbulence. But I am very thankful to the pilot for making a safe landing,” the passenger said.
Hailstorm, heavy rain in Delhi-NCR
After days of sweltering heat, with temperatures crossing 40 degrees Celsius, parts of Delhi-NCR saw a sudden shift in weather on Wednesday evening.
Heavy rain and hailstorms, along with strong winds, swept across the national capital and nearby areas, providing much-needed relief from the heat.
The storm led to uprooted trees, waterlogged streets and traffic jams in several places. In Noida, gusty winds shattered windows and damaged hoardings.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a cloud mass entered North Delhi and moved towards the south-southeast, causing a dust storm and high winds. Wind speeds reached 50–60 kmph, with gusts up to 70 kmph, along with rain.
The IMD said a cyclonic circulation over Haryana and nearby areas, along with an east-west trough from Punjab to Bangladesh at lower levels of the atmosphere, is behind the current weather conditions.
Flight services at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were disrupted on Wednesday evening due to heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) also warned that storms and poor weather could continue to affect flights.
With inputs from agencies
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