Air India A321 Grounded After Bengaluru Tailstrike Incident

Incident Overview

An Air India flight AI2651 from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) to Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) suffered a significant tailstrike during a landing attempt on Thursday, May 21, 2026. The incident occurred as the Airbus A321 narrow-body aircraft executed a go-around maneuver. According to industry data, the maneuver was reportedly initiated to avoid wake turbulence generated by a preceding Boeing 747. While the aircraft eventually landed safely and all 179 passengers and crew disembarked without injury, the event has triggered a mandatory regulatory response.

Regulatory and Operational Impact

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a formal investigation into the event under the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Rules. As part of standard safety protocol, the operating pilots have been off-rostered, meaning they are suspended from active flying duties pending the outcome of the probe. The aircraft itself remains grounded at Bengaluru for a detailed structural inspection, as tailstrikes on the A321 airframe often require comprehensive damage assessment. The Flightradar24 flight history confirms the aircraft's path and subsequent grounding.

For Air India fleet operations, the grounding of this A321 represents a medium-severity operational challenge. The return sector, flight AI2652 from Bengaluru to Delhi, was immediately cancelled, forcing the airline to rebook affected passengers onto alternative services. Ground teams are currently assisting those impacted by the disruption, while the airline reiterates that passenger safety remains its primary focus during the ongoing investigation.

Technical Context and Industry Trends

The incident highlights a known aerodynamic vulnerability of the Airbus A321. Due to its 44.5-meter fuselage, the A321 possesses a lower tail clearance angle compared to smaller variants like the A320. This makes the aircraft statistically more prone to tail strikes during aggressive pitch inputs or sudden Take-Off/Go-Around (TOGA) maneuvers.

Airbus A321 vs Airbus A320: Key Specifications

Technical Analysis

The event underscores a broader industry challenge regarding wake turbulence separation standards at high-traffic hubs. While initial scrutiny often focuses on pilot handling during the TOGA phase, aviation safety analysts have suggested that the incident may also point to systemic issues in Air Traffic Control (ATC) separation protocols when heavy wide-body aircraft precede narrow-body jets. This incident follows a pattern observed in previous years, notably the August 2025 IndiGo A321 tail strike in Mumbai and the October 2024 Turkish Airlines A321neo incident in Dublin. These precedents confirm that over-rotation during low-altitude go-arounds remains a critical risk factor for stretched-fuselage narrow-body operations.

What Comes Next

The DGCA is expected to release a preliminary investigation report between June and July 2026. The return of the aircraft to active service remains contingent upon the completion of structural repairs and final clearance from both Air India engineering teams and the DGCA.

Why This Matters

This incident highlights the ongoing operational risks associated with maintaining separation distances in increasingly congested airspace. For the aviation industry, the event serves as a reminder of the heightened structural risks inherent in the A321's design during emergency maneuvers, necessitating continued focus on pilot training and ATC separation efficiency.