Certainly, the incident at the Kolkata airport involving an IndiGo aircraft and an Air India Express plane occurred when the wingtip of the IndiGo aircraft grazed the wings of the Air India Express plane. This type of incident is often referred to as a "wingtip collision" or "wingtip strike."
The wingtip of an aircraft refers to the outermost part of the wing, typically where the wing curves upward or downward. When two aircraft come into contact, particularly during taxiing or maneuvering on the ground, there is a risk of their wingtips colliding. Such collisions can cause damage to the wingtips and potentially other parts of the aircraft involved.
In this case, the incident occurred at around 11:10 am local time. Both aircraft had passengers on board, but fortunately, there were no casualties reported. However, the wingtips of both planes were damaged as a result of the collision.
Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is India's aviation regulatory body, was notified. The DGCA initiated a high-level investigation into the matter to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding the incident. Additionally, the pilots of the IndiGo aircraft involved were de-rostered pending the investigation.
Both Air India Express and IndiGo released statements acknowledging the incident. Air India Express stated that the wingtip of their stationary aircraft was grazed by a taxiing aircraft belonging to another airline while awaiting clearance to enter the runway for a scheduled operation to Chennai. IndiGo described the incident as a minor graze between its aircraft and that of another carrier, stating that the aircraft returned to the bay for inspection and necessary action per protocol.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) also confirmed that the wingtip vortices of both planes were badly damaged, highlighting the extent of the damage resulting from the collision.
