“Indigo Airlines experienced four tail strike incidents on A321 aircraft within a span of six months in the year 2023. The DGCA carried out a special audit of Indigo airlines, and reviewed their documentation and procedure on operations, training, engineering and FDM (Flight Data Monitoring) programme,” said a press statement issued by the ministry of civil aviation.
The FDM programme uses recorded digital flight data from regular flights to check for cockpit crew errors and improve flight safety. Compared to the A320 aircraft which has a fuselage length of 123 feet, the A321 has a longer fuselage, measuring 146 feet. The longer length demands precision during nose-up maneuvers close to ground and errors could lead to the tail of the aircraft scrapping/hitting the runway while take-off or landing, said a senior commander.
“During the special audit, certain systemic deficiencies were observed in Indigo documentation pertaining to operations/training procedures and engineering procedures. The DGCA issued a show cause notice to the airline directing them to submit a reply within the stipulated time period. The reply was reviewed at various levels and was not
found satisfactory,” it said, adding that the civil aviation regulator then imposed a financial penalty of Rs. 30 Lakhs on Indigo. The airline has also been directed to amend their documents and procedures in line with DGCA requirements and OEM guidelines.