Hard landing of Sukhoi aircraft at Pune airport; major accident averted !

Runway operational after 9 hours, many flights cancelled !

(‘Hard landing’ means the aircraft hits the runway at a higher speed and force than normal, resulting in a strong impact instead of a smooth landing.)

Pune – A ‘Sukhoi 30 MKI’ fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force experienced an undercarriage failure (malfunction in the landing gear) while landing at Lohegaon International Airport at 10:25 pm on 17 April. As a result, the aircraft made a hard landing and got stuck in the middle of the runway. Fortunately, the pilot is safe and no loss of life or damage to civilian property has been reported, according to the Air Force.

1. Due to this incident, the runway at Lohegaon Airport remained closed for 9 hours. As a result, more than 30 flights arriving in and departing from Pune were cancelled or diverted. Since Pune Airport operates as a dual-use facility handling both civilian and military flights, the impact of the incident was more widespread. Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol took cognisance of the incident and immediately contacted the Air Force and airport administration.

2. Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol shared updates about the airport through social media. Cranes and heavy machinery were deployed to remove the stranded fighter aircraft from the runway. The Air Force’s technical team worked through the night to restore operations. Murlidhar Mohol informed that flight services have resumed. With safety as the top priority, flight take-offs resumed from 7:30 am and landings from 8:00 am. The Air Force has ordered a Court of Inquiry to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident. It will be examined whether the hard landing occurred due to a technical fault or any other reason.