The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday suspended licence of IndiGo captain for 3 months for tail strike landing in Ahmedabad. The controller had given show cause to the pilots on this occurrence and has found "infringement of the arrangements of the applicable (rules)" by the crew that had prompted something very similar.
"On June 15, 2023, an Airbus 321 airplanes was engaged with a tail strike while arriving at Ahmedabad. DGCA examination uncovered the team completed the arrival in deviation of laid out SOPs (standard working systems). Likewise, both the group individuals were given a show cause notice by DGCA," a senior DGCA official said as quoted by Time Of India.
A tail strike happens when the aft fuselage (tail) of a plane interacts with the runway during one or the other departure or landing. As per flight site Skybrary, measurably most of tail strikes happen on landing. " Tail strikes most frequently happen because of human blunder albeit natural elements, like solid breezy breezes, can build the potential for an occasion," Skybrary said.
The DGCA official said: " After assessment of their answers and pertinent realities of the matter, the permit of the PIC has been suspended for a time of 90 days and co-pilot has been suspended for a time of one month for infringement of the arrangements of the significant Common Flight Necessities and SOPs," the authority added.
Since last April, IndiGo has seen something like eight tail strikes. DGCA chief Vikram Dev Dutt has recently given a show-cause notice to IndiGo on air safety issue.
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