{
  "id": 2537934,
  "title": "IndiGo A321neo grounded after tail impact during Gorakhpur landing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/indigo-a321neo-grounded-after-tail-impact-during-gorakhpur-landing",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-22T08:12:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indigo-a321neo-grounded-after-tail-impact-during-gorakhpur-landing/articleshow/133420385.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lucknow - An IndiGo Airbus A321neo aircraft was grounded at Gorakhpur airport following a tail impact during its landing approach on Wednesday. The flight, 6E 2381, was en route from Delhi to Gorakhpur. The aircraft, an Airbus A321-252NX registration VT-ILR, had been delivered to IndiGo in August 2021. It executed two go-arounds before successfully landing on the third attempt at around 3:43pm, according to a company statement.\n\nIndiGo explained that the flight conducted a go-around during the landing approach for safety reasons. The aircraft safely landed at Gorakhpur airport and subsequent passengers and crew disembarked without incident. Post-flight, scratches were observed around the APU inlet, leading the airline to ground the aircraft for maintenance before resuming operations with necessary clearances.\n\nThe incident occurred during the landing approach when the aircraft touched down. A tail impact can happen if the aircraft’s nose is raised excessively during the flare, causing the tail or rear fuselage to make contact with the runway or runway surface. This can extend to contact with ground equipment or hangar structures. Typically, a tail strike is more severe than a tail impact.\n\nThe observed scratches were around the APU inlet, a component located in the aft fuselage or tail-cone region. The APU supplies cabin air, pneumatic air for engine starts, and other systems when the main engines are off. The Airbus A321neo, with its longer fuselage than typical single-aisle aircraft, is more susceptible to tail impacts.\n\nAn official at Gorakhpur airport noted that the technical issue linked to the tail impact had been resolved, and the aircraft is expected to depart on Saturday after undergoing required technical and regulatory clearances.",
  "summary": "An IndiGo Airbus A321neo aircraft experienced a tail impact during its landing approach. The flight from Delhi to Gorakhpur made a successful landing on its third attempt. Scratches were observed around the APU inlet during a post-flight inspection. The aircraft remains grounded at Gorakhpur airport for necessary maintenance. Technical and regulatory clearances are awaited before the plane…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}