Lahore ATC Rejected IndiGo Pilot’s Plea to Avoid Turbulence
Flight 6E 2142 that encountered severe turbulence later suffered major damages to the aircraft when it landed after going through the turbulence.
New Delhi:The pilot of the troubled IndiGo flight between Delhi and Srinagar, which encountered a sudden hailstorm on Wednesday, had initially sought permission of the Lahore Air Traffic Control to briefly use the Pakistan airspace to avoid the turbulence, but the request was rejected.
Flight 6E 2142 that encountered severe turbulence later suffered major damages to the aircraft when it landed after going through the turbulence. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the incident.
The flight, carrying more than 220 people encountered a sudden hailstorm, and the pilot reported the "emergency" to air traffic control at Srinagar airport. However, when the aircraft was overflying Amritsar, the pilot noticed turbulence and sought Lahore Air Traffic Control's (ATC) permission to take a deviation through the Pakistan airspace on Wednesday. The request was made in order to avoid the turbulence, but it was rejected by the Lahore ATC since India and Pakistan have closed their airspace for each other’s airlines, and Pakistan did not make an exception despite a safety concern of 200 people.
This forced the flight to continue moving head on the original path, where it encountered severe turbulence.
