Stories
Lightning strikes Indigo flight mid-air, are passengers safe?
- •An Indigo flight 6E925 from Patna to Ahmedabad was struck by lightning at an altitude of 17000 feet.
- •The aircraft made a safe emergency landing in Lucknow after its nose cone was heavily damaged.
- •All 110 passengers on board remained completely safe during the terrifying incident.
- •A Faraday cage design allows the electrical charge from lightning to flow along the outer metal structure without harming passengers inside.
- •Engineering inspections and necessary repairs are conducted on the aircraft before it is cleared for future flights.
Key Questions Answered
Passengers remain safe due to a scientific principle known as the 'Faraday Cage'. Because the aircraft's outer fuselage is made of conductive metal, the massive electrical charge flows entirely along the exterior surface of the plane and exits through the other end, preventing the electricity from passing through to the interior.
IndiGo flight 6E925, flying from Patna to Ahmedabad at an altitude of about 17,000 feet, was struck by lightning which heavily damaged its nose cone or radome. The aircraft made a safe landing at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, and all 110 people on board—comprising 104 passengers and 6 crew members—were completely uninjured and safe.
Following a lightning strike and a safe landing, the aircraft is not immediately reused. Engineers conduct a thorough technical inspection of critical components including the radome, wings, fuselage, and electrical systems. The plane is grounded until all necessary repairs and regulatory protocol checks are completed.
