Jakarta, Indonesia – A Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 landed with severe damage to its radome after a domestic flight from Jakarta to Pekanbaru on March 7, 2026, with the crew unaware of the issue during flight.
The aircraft, registration PK-GFF, a 15.8-year-old 737-800, completed the flight without incident reports from the flight deck. Post-landing visual inspection by engineers and crew revealed extensive damage to the nose cone, which houses the weather radar system. Garuda Indonesia stated: “After landing, visual inspection by engineers and flight crew showed that the radome (nose of the aircraft) was severely damaged. Currently, it is still in the investigation process because the cause of the damage is not yet known.”
The radome, made from lightweight composite materials like fibreglass, protects the radar while allowing signals to pass through for detecting storms, rain and turbulence. Such damage typically does not compromise structural integrity but impairs radar function, prompting grounding for repairs.
PK-GFF remains grounded at Pekanbaru for investigation by authorities and airline engineers. The scheduled return flight to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was cancelled, with passengers rebooked on Citilink flight QG033 to Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, departing at 7:12 p.m. local time.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the radome damage, resembling bird strike effects, remains undetermined pending full inquiry.