A Vistara aircraft from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi was forced to return to the airport in Odisha’s capital city immediately after takeoff on Wednesday as it encountered a hailstorm resulting in cracks in its windshield and minor damage to the nose of the plane.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered an inquiry into the incident. “The crew was taking a deviation when it was hit by a hailstorm. The investigation is in progress,” a DGCA official said.
Confirming the incident, Vistara said the pilots decided to turn back as a precautionary step and the aircraft landed safely at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar.
“The aircraft is undergoing necessary checks before resuming operations,” the airline’s press statement said.
Vistara also arranged an alternate aircraft to enable Delhi-bound passengers to complete their journey.
