An Air India Airbus A321 suffered a tail-strike while landing at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Thursday morning, May 21, 2024 [1], [2], [4].
The incident highlights the risks associated with runway timing and aircraft spacing, as the strike occurred shortly after another wide-body aircraft departed the airfield [1].
Flight AI2651 was carrying 181 passengers when the aircraft's rear section made contact with the runway during its descent [2]. Despite the impact, the plane landed safely and did not suffer a catastrophic failure. All passengers and crew members disembarked the aircraft normally without injury [1], [2].
An Air India spokesperson said, "The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked normally" [1].
Following the landing, the aircraft was immediately grounded to undergo a detailed technical inspection. Maintenance crews are evaluating the structural integrity of the fuselage, and the tail section to determine the extent of the damage [1], [3].
Tail-strikes occur when the rear of an aircraft hits the runway, often due to a nose-high attitude during the flare or touchdown phase. In this specific instance, the presence of a preceding wide-body aircraft departure is cited as a contributing factor to the conditions that led to the impact [1].
Air India has not yet released a full report on the operational causes of the event, but the grounding of the Airbus A321 is a standard safety protocol for any airframe impact [1], [3].
“The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked normally.”
A tail-strike is a significant structural event that can compromise the pressure hull of an aircraft. While there were no injuries in this instance, the grounding of the Airbus A321 ensures that any microscopic fractures or structural deformations are identified before the plane returns to service, preventing potential mid-air failures.
