Incident Details
On 12 November 2023, at approximately 00:36 UTC, an IndiGo Airbus A320neo (registration VT-IFK) operating flight IGO1667 from Kuwait International Airport to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad, was cruising at flight level 350 over the Muscat Flight Information Region. The aircraft carried 2 flight deck crew, 4 cabin crew, and 178 passengers.
Flight History
The flight departed Kuwait at 23:17 UTC and was following the filed flight plan to exit point RASKI on airway P307 between waypoints PURNI and KUNUS. Air traffic control had cleared the crew to proceed as planned.
ATC Communications
While over Muscat FIR, the crew reported encountering turbulence and requested a right turn of 5 nautical miles. The controller denied this request and subsequently denied a request for a 2-mile offset. The controller informed the crew of RNAV1 restrictions on airway P307 and cleared only a 1-mile offset.
The crew then requested either a descent or a right turn to heading 150 degrees due to heavy turbulence. The controller immediately cleared the aircraft to descend from FL350 to FL310. The crew complied with the descent but additionally executed a right turn of more than 1 nautical mile without ATC clearance.
Response
The controller observed the unapproved turn on radar and contacted the crew to confirm if they were on an offset. The pilot acknowledged that they had made the turn. No further details on the aircraft's subsequent track or any loss of separation were reported in the source.