IndiGo Mumbai-Dehradun Flight Damaged In Bird Strike, Lands Safely With 186 On Board

A Mumbai-to-Dehradun IndiGo flight was hit by a bird just minutes before landing at Jolly Grant Airport on Sunday. The bird strike damaged the front part of the aircraft, but the plane landed safely with

all 186 passengers on board.

After the landing, an engineering team checked the aircraft and confirmed the damage. The plane has been taken for further inspection and repairs. No passenger or crew member was hurt in the incident.

Officials said the incident occurred around 6:45 pm when a bird struck the nose of Indigo flight IGO 5032, which had arrived here from Mumbai, after landing on the runway.

Officials conducted a thorough inspection and a safety audit of the runway.

A bird strike occurs when a bird collides with an aircraft, usually during take-off or landing when planes fly at lower altitudes. Most strikes are minor and do not affect the safety of the flight, but they are taken seriously because the impact can damage sensitive parts of the aircraft. The nose cone, windshield, wings and landing lights are commonly affected, while the biggest risk is to the engines, especially if a large bird is sucked in. Modern jet engines are built to withstand small-bird impacts, but larger birds can cause vibration, power loss or engine shutdown.

When a strike happens, pilots immediately inform air traffic control and proceed to land if they are in the air. After touchdown, engineers inspect the aircraft for structural or mechanical damage, and the plane is cleared only after safety checks. Airports also use bird-scaring tools, lasers and trained personnel to keep birds away from runways and reduce the risk of such incidents.