A Boeing 737-800 operated by Garuda Indonesia was found with severe damage to its radome after completing a domestic flight between Jakarta and Pekanbaru in Indonesia.
The incident occurred on March 7, 2026, when the 15.6-year-old aircraft, registered PK-GFF, was operating flight GA176 from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) to Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport (PKU).
The significant radome damage was discovered only during a post-flight inspection conducted by engineers and the flight crew after arrival in Pekanbaru. According to the airline, visual checks revealed that the aircraft’s nose cone had been severely damaged, although the issue was not detected during the flight itself. The carrier said the incident is currently under investigation, and the exact cause of the damage remains unknown.
Following the discovery, the aircraft’s scheduled return service to Jakarta was canceled, and the aircraft was temporarily grounded for further technical inspection.
Radome damage is most commonly associated with bird strikes, ground-handling incidents, foreign object impacts, or, less frequently, structural fatigue. However, no official cause has yet been confirmed in this case.
Despite the severity of the visible damage, such incidents can go unnoticed by the flight crew. The radome is a non-structural composite component located outside the pilots’ field of view and typically does not trigger cockpit warnings if damaged. The aircraft weather radar may continue to function even when the outer radome skin is cracked, meaning impacts from birds, hail, or airborne debris may only be discovered during routine inspections after landing.
