An IndiGo Airlines Airbus A320neo operating flight 6E 925 from Patna to Lucknow suffered damage after encountering lightning and hail at approximately 17,000 feet on October 7, 2026. The aircraft landed safely at Lucknow, but damage to its nose radome prompted its grounding for further inspection.
The incident highlights the risks thunderstorms and severe weather can pose to commercial aircraft, even when a flight reaches its destination without injuries.
What Happened to IndiGo Flight 6E 925?
According to reports published by AeroInside, the IndiGo aircraft encountered lightning and hail while operating its scheduled service from Patna to Lucknow.
Despite the severe weather encounter, the aircraft completed its flight and landed safely at Lucknow Airport. Following landing, an inspection reportedly identified structural damage to the radome, the protective structure covering the aircraft’s weather radar at the nose.
The aircraft was subsequently grounded while maintenance teams investigated the damage and assessed the repairs required before it could return to service.
No injuries were reported in the available incident information.
Why Is Radome Damage Important?
The radome is the streamlined nose covering that protects an aircraft’s weather radar while allowing radar signals to pass through. It plays an important role in helping flight crews identify weather systems and navigate around hazardous conditions.
Lightning strikes do not necessarily cause significant aircraft damage because commercial aircraft are designed with protection against lightning effects. However, hail can create a different challenge, potentially causing dents, cracks or other structural damage to exposed surfaces.
Damage to the radome is particularly important because it can affect the protection and performance of the weather radar system. Any suspected damage must therefore be inspected by qualified maintenance personnel before the aircraft is cleared to operate again.
What Happens After a Lightning Strike?
When an aircraft encounters lightning or severe hail, airline maintenance teams may conduct detailed inspections to identify damage to the fuselage, nose, wings, sensors and other components.
The extent of the inspection depends on the reported event and the aircraft manufacturer’s maintenance requirements. If damage is discovered, the aircraft may remain grounded until the necessary repairs and checks are completed.
Grounding an aircraft after a suspected structural issue is a standard safety precaution, not necessarily an indication that the aircraft was unsafe during landing.
A Reminder of the Challenges of Severe Weather
The IndiGo incident underlines the importance of weather monitoring, appropriate flight planning and post-flight inspections. Thunderstorms can contain lightning, hail, turbulence and rapidly changing conditions that create operational challenges for airlines.
Although the aircraft landed safely, the reported radome damage demonstrates why inspections remain essential after severe weather encounters.
Conclusion: IndiGo flight 6E 925 completed its journey to Lucknow safely after encountering lightning and hail. The subsequent grounding of the A320neo for inspection reinforces the aviation industry’s focus on identifying and addressing aircraft damage before operations resume.
Source: AeroInside, IndiGo A20N at Lucknow on Oct 7th 2026, lightning and hail strike.
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