IndiGo flight with 110 passengers on board hit by 'lightning' at 17,000ft before landing

IndiGo flight with 110 passengers on board hit by 'lightning' at 17,000ft before landing An IndiGo plane with 110 passengers on board was found to have a massive dent in the nose after it landed in Lucknow, India, following severe weather A plane carrying 110 people was damaged after being hit by suspected lightning at around 17,000ft as it flew through severe weather in India. The IndiGo flight from Patna to Lucknow encountered a hailstorm on Wednesday before landing safely at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, where damage to the aircraft’s nose was discovered. Flight 6E925 had dropped to about 17,000ft when it is claimed to have been jolted by lightning during a storm although this has not been confirmed and will be part of an investigation. A spokesperson for IndiGo confirmed that there was "unfavourable weather" where there was also hailstone. Despite the damage to the nose of the plane it was able to land normally at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport eight minutes ahead of schedule. All 104 passengers and six crew walked away from the scare unhurt. It is not unusual for passenger planes to be hit by planes and in fact it happens on average once or twice a year - but it is far less common for them to sustain damage. Planes are designed and built to have conducting paths through them to take the lightning strike and conduct the currents. It was after Flight 6E925 had landed that the damage was noticed to the cone or radome of the plane - which appears to have been pushed inwards by the lightning strike. The aircraft has been grounded by safety officials and will remain out of service until repair work is completed. The cause of the damage will be an important part of the investigation as the nose radome is designed to protect the internal radar antenna while allowing radar signals to pass through. And so it is a critical part of the plane for its safety. In a statement, an IndiGo spokesperson told The Mirror: “IndiGo flight 6E 625 operating from Patna to Lucknow on 07 October 2026 encountered unfavourable weather including hailstorm while landing, resulting in damage to the radome. The aircraft landed safely and all customer disembarked at their destination, i.e. Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Lucknow. "The relevant authorities were immediately informed. The aircraft will undergo necessary maintenance and will resume operations after securing relevant clearances. At IndiGo, the safety of our customers, crew and aircraft remain our highest priority.”