An Airbus A320-251N flying at 17,000 feet through severe weather encountered a powerful atmospheric electrical discharge on Wednesday, crushing its nose cone before touching down safely in Lucknow ahead of schedule. The IndiGo flight 6E925, carrying 104 passengers and six crew members from Patna, landed at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport approximately eight minutes before its scheduled 4.12 pm arrival, according to The Times of India.
The aircraft, bearing tail registration VT-IQZ, touched down at 4.04 pm following an approach through incessant rain that had lashed Lucknow over the previous two days, Xinhua reported. While the descent brought a severe mid-air jolt, the flight deck crew remained initially unaware of the structural extent of the impact.
How Faraday Cage Physics Shielded the Cabin
When the aircraft intercepted the electrical charge, the exterior shell acted as a protective shield. News18 reports that passenger planes rely on Faraday cage mechanics, wherein an unbroken conductive barrier or embedded copper mesh guides high-voltage electricity along the outer metal body of the aircraft. The current enters at an extremity such as the nose cone or wingtip, flows around the exterior, and safely exits through static discharger wicks located on the trailing edges.
News18 pointed out that this outer conductive shield isolates the passenger compartment, safeguarding fuel reservoirs, onboard electronics, and travelers from electrical flows. Because the nose cone radome must be built from non-metallic composite materials or fibreglass to let internal weather radar send and receive signals effectively—unlike the rest of the fuselage which relies on metallic alloys or copper-mesh-layered composites—it stands out as the most susceptible part during a lightning strike.
Aircraft Grounded After Lightning Strike Damage Discovered
The pilots reported the lightning strike to Air Traffic Control as a precaution because they were not sure whether the aircraft had suffered any significant impact during the flight, airport sources told The Times of India. The visible damage only became evident after the aircraft had vacated the runway and parked at its designated bay.
Officials confirmed that no passengers or crew members sustained any injuries, and normal disembarkation took place after the aircraft reached the bay. Following the post-flight inspection, the aircraft was grounded for detailed technical checks. Ground engineers began assessing the integrity of internal wiring, planning to replace the crushed radome, and testing static discharge wicks, as reported by News18.
IndiGo Arranges Replacement Flight for Affected Passengers
The disruption forced schedule adjustments for the grounded airframe, which was originally scheduled to operate flight 6E6968 from Lucknow to Ahmedabad at 5.05 pm, according to The New Indian Express. IndiGo arranged another aircraft to carry the affected passengers to Ahmedabad, flying them out at approximately 6.22 pm.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been informed about the incident in accordance with standard operating procedures. The aircraft will remain grounded in Lucknow until engineers complete a thorough inspection and all necessary repairs, returning to active service only after receiving mandatory regulatory clearance.
