New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) The pilots of the IndiGo plane, which was damaged in rough weather en route to Srinagar, were denied permission by the Lahore ATC to venture briefly into Pakistan airspace to escape the hailstorm, in complete violation of humanitarian norms. India’s civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, said the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of approximately 36,000 feet near Punjab's Pathankot when it ran into a thunderstorm and hailstorm. 

Experiencing severe turbulence, the crew first requested the Northern ATC of the Indian Air Force to allow the flight to deviate towards the International Border. However, the request was denied because it was felt that the plane would face danger from the Pakistan side due to the recently witnessed intense hostilities between India and the neighbouring country during Operation Sindoor. The pilot then sought permission from the Lahore air traffic control (ATC) to briefly venture into Pakistani airspace to avoid the storm. But it was refused, too. With limited options left, the pilot initially considered returning to Delhi. However, since the aircraft was close to the "thunderstorm cloud", returning was considered an unsafe option. The pilot then decided to continue forward through the storm towards Srinagar on the shortest possible route, the DGCA statement said.

While navigating the thunderstorm, the aircraft encountered "extreme updrafts and downdrafts", leading to the autopilot disengaging and its speed fluctuating. "While in the thunderstorm cloud, warnings of an angle of attack fault, alternate saw protection lost, and unreliable airspeed indications were triggered," the statement further said. The DGCA said that at one point, the aircraft's rate of descent reached 8,500 feet per minute. It further said that the crew took manual control of the aircraft during this critical phase till exiting the hailstorm.

The pilot then declared an emergency to the Srinagar ATC, which then activated radar vectors. The flight eventually landed safely in Srinagar with no reported injuries to any of the passengers or crew. The DGCA said that the plane made a safe landing with the auto thrust system operated manually. There was no injury to any of the passengers on board the flight. A post-flight check revealed damage to the nose of the aircraft. A full-fledged investigation has been launched into the incident, the statement added.