RANCHI, JUNE 2: A major mishap was narrowly averted on Monday when an IndiGo flight from Patna to Ranchi suffered a bird strike and was forced to make an emergency landing at Birsa Munda Airport, officials confirmed. All 175 passengers and crew members onboard are safe.
The incident occurred around 1:14 p.m., approximately 10 to 12 nautical miles from Ranchi at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet, when the aircraft was struck by a vulture, said RR Maurya, Director of Birsa Munda Airport.
“The Airbus A320 aircraft suffered a dent from the bird hit. The pilot acted swiftly and landed the flight safely. Engineers are currently assessing the extent of the damage,” Maurya told PTI.
Another airport official noted that the same aircraft was scheduled to fly onward to Kolkata after arriving in Ranchi. That leg of the journey has been delayed pending a technical evaluation of the aircraft.
IndiGo has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
