Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : New Delhi – Aviation investigators are examining the history of a specific Air India Express Boeing 737 after it suffered a tail strike during takeoff in Ahmedabad—the second such incident for the very same aircraft in just four years.
The event occurred on October 20, 2024, when flight IX 1210, bound for Sharjah, was taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. During its ascent, the rear end of the aircraft's main body, or fuselage, scraped against the runway surface. The pilots, recognizing the potential for serious damage, safely returned to Ahmedabad.
While none of the passengers or crew were injured, India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), immediately grounded the aircraft and removed the flight crew from duty pending a full investigation.
What makes this case unusual and has drawn intense scrutiny from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is the aircraft’s past. The plane, registered as VT-AXX, was involved in a nearly identical tail strike incident at London's Gatwick Airport in June 2020, when it was operated by Air India before its merger with Air India Express.
A tail strike is a serious aviation event that can compromise the structural integrity of the aircraft, potentially leading to catastrophic failure if not properly repaired. The core of the current investigation will now focus on several key questions:
- Was the repair work after the 2020 Gatwick incident performed correctly and was it sufficient?
- Is there an underlying, undetected issue with this specific airframe that makes it more prone to such events?
- Was the latest incident a result of pilot error, or is it a startling coincidence pointing to a deeper mechanical or structural problem?
Investigators will meticulously analyze the flight data recorder, or "black box," to understand the precise angle of takeoff, pilot inputs, and other critical parameters. They will also review the complete maintenance and repair logs for VT-AXX since the 2020 mishap. The parallel incidents have created a unique case for the AAIB, which will be looking for patterns that connect these two rare events involving one single plane.
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