PUNE, INDIA – An Air India Airbus A321 reportedly was forced to perform an early rotation on takeoff, due to a jeep on the runway at Pune Airport in India, Airlive reports. This led to a tail strike with a damaged undercarriage as a result. However, the passenger aircraft took off safely and nobody was hurt.

The incident with the Air India A321 – with registration VT-PPU – occured on Saturday February 15 in the morning, during Flight AI852 from Pune to Delhi in India.

Incident :

– Air India @Airbus A321 aircraft VT-PPU doing Pune – Delhi AI-852 had a tail strike during take-off today.

– On arrival at @DelhiAirport damage observed on fuselage skin and frames

– Aircraft withdrawn from service for @DGCAIndia investigation. @AviationSafety. pic.twitter.com/O0l44cJcP9

— Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) February 15, 2020

“During the take-off roll, while a speed of 120 kts (about 222 kph), the crew saw a jeep on the runway. To avoid conflict, they did an early rotation. The A321 had a tail scrape during taking off from Pune. It has safely landed at Delhi. Air India has been advised to remove the cockpit voice recorder (CVR),” a senior DGCA official said.

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(Head photo: Venkat Mangudi (CC BY 2.0))