NEW DELHI: An Austrian Airlines flight, OS434, encountered a powerful and unexpected hailstorm while travelling from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, to Vienna, Austria on Sunday. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, sustained significant damage to its nose, front cockpit windows, and some coverings due to the hail. The airplane crew reported that the “thunderstorm cell” was not visible on their weather radar, the airline told The Post.
Despite the severe damage, including heavily cracked front windows, the plane managed to land safely at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. Emmeley Oakley, a passenger on the flight, described the experience to ABC News, saying that they entered the hailstorm and thunderstorm about 20 minutes before landing, causing intense turbulence.
“We could definitely feel the hail coming down on the plane and it was quite loud and… super rocky for a minute,” Oakley said.
During the approximately two-minute hailstorm, phones and cups were tossed around the plane, causing some passengers to scream in panic.
However, Oakley praised the cabin crew for their efforts in calming the distressed passengers. It wasn’t until the passengers disembarked that they realized the extent of the damage, with the plane’s nose missing.
“The pilots really did an excellent job keeping things as smooth and safe as they could,” Oakley added.
Austrian Airlines confirmed that no passengers were injured during the incident and stated that their technical team is currently assessing the specific damage to the aircraft. The airline emphasized that the safety of their passengers and crews is their top priority.
Despite the severe damage, including heavily cracked front windows, the plane managed to land safely at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. Emmeley Oakley, a passenger on the flight, described the experience to ABC News, saying that they entered the hailstorm and thunderstorm about 20 minutes before landing, causing intense turbulence.
“We could definitely feel the hail coming down on the plane and it was quite loud and… super rocky for a minute,” Oakley said.
During the approximately two-minute hailstorm, phones and cups were tossed around the plane, causing some passengers to scream in panic.
However, Oakley praised the cabin crew for their efforts in calming the distressed passengers. It wasn’t until the passengers disembarked that they realized the extent of the damage, with the plane’s nose missing.
“The pilots really did an excellent job keeping things as smooth and safe as they could,” Oakley added.
Austrian Airlines confirmed that no passengers were injured during the incident and stated that their technical team is currently assessing the specific damage to the aircraft. The airline emphasized that the safety of their passengers and crews is their top priority.