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IAF orders probe after aircraft hard landing disrupts Pune Airport operations
The Indian Air Force ordered a court of inquiry into a hard landing of a Sukhoi-30MKI at Pune Airport on Friday night, which damaged the runway and disrupted civilian flights. A NOTAM halted operations through the night, with normalcy restored by Saturday morning as investigators prepared to analyze flight data.
Why It Matters
The incident underscores aviation safety concerns and the impact of military airfield incidents on civilian air traffic, along with the coordinated response by defence authorities to restore operations.
Timeline
6 Events
Investigation scope details announced
April 18, 2026
Investigators are expected to analyse key flight parameters such as the aircraft’s vertical speed at touchdown and the altitude at which the pilot first acquired visual contact with the runway.
Flight operations resume at Pune Airport
April 18, 2026
Flight operations resumed on Saturday morning after the runway was declared fit for use.
Defence PRO confirms normalcy and runway clearance progress
April 18, 2026
Defence PRO (Southern Command) Ankush Chavan said normalcy has been restored at Pune Airport; IAF teams cleared the runway through the night to resume full operations.
IAF orders court of inquiry into Pune runway incident
April 18, 2026
The Indian Air Force ordered a court of inquiry to investigate the incident.
NOTAM extended to 9 am to facilitate removal, inspection and restoration
April 18, 2026
The NOTAM was later extended to 9:00 am to facilitate removal, inspection and restoration of the runway.
Sukhoi-30MKI undercarriage issue leads to runway blockage and NOTAM at Pune Airport
April 17, 2026
Around 10:25 pm on Friday, the frontline fighter jet Sukhoi-30MKI developed a technical issue related to its undercarriage during landing, immobilising the aircraft and blocking the runway. A NOTAM was issued for temporary runway closure until 5:30 am to facilitate removal and recovery. The disruption contributed to at least 12 incoming flights being diverted and 73 flights cancelled.