Air India plane with cracked windshield lands ahead of schedule at Delhi airport

Air India’s AI858 Pune-Delhi flight landed ahead of schedule at the Delhi airport with a cracked windshield caused by a bird hit. The flight, which landed at 5:50 pm on Tuesday, had 180 passengers onboard. The airport declared a full emergency soon after. 

The pilot suspected a crack in the windshield of the aircraft on the co-pilot’s side and sought an emergency landing, sources within Air India told India Today. A minor crack was detected and will be replaced soon, they said.

Sources within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the outer layer of the windshield got cracked due to a bird hit and the aircraft landed safely. They added no emergency was declared by the crew. 

“Air India flight AI858 operating Pune-Delhi on 18 April 2023, safely landed in Delhi ahead of its scheduled arrival time, following a minor crack on the right (starboard side) of the operating aircraft’s windshield,” an Air India spokesperson said. 

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The spokesperson added all passengers and crew members are safe and the aircraft will undergo the necessary maintenance procedures, and the windshield will be replaced. 

This, however, is not the first time an Air India plane has been damaged by a bird hit. Earlier this month, one of the engine blades of an Air India plane was found damaged after it landed in Kolkata from Mumbai. A blade on the right engine of an Airbus A320 plane was found to be bent during checks. A total of 119 passengers and six cabin crew were onboard the plane. 

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