Austrian Airlines airplane heavily affected by a hailstorm during flight.
An air mass comprising updrafts and downdrafts, known as a storm cell, can lead to turbulence when an aircraft encounters it. There was a flight carrying 173 passengers and 6 crew members from Palma de Mallorca in Spain to Vienna, Austria that managed to land safely. A distress call was made during the flight, according to Austrian authorities.
Social media shared photos of the plane, which had its nose severely damaged, the cockpit top bent, and the cockpit windows' glass cracked.
In a statement to CNN, Austrian Airlines said, "Yesterday's flight OS434 from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna experienced hail damage on an Airbus A320 aircraft. During its approach to Vienna, the plane was caught in a thunderstorm cell, which was not visible on the weather radar. The crew reported two cracked cockpit windows, a damaged radome (nose of the aircraft), and some damaged paneling."
The jet is currently undergoing a detailed damage assessment.
Recently, a Singapore Airlines flight (SQ321) experienced a tragedy where one passenger lost their life and more than 70 were injured due to severe turbulence. Just a week later, 12 passengers sustained injuries on a Qatar Airways plane on its route from Doha to Dublin.
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Despite the hail damage, the passengers and crew managed to safely navigate the affected Austrian Airlines plane. Subsequently, many travelers expressed curiosity and concern about future flights, highlighting the importance of reliable weather forecasting and safe travel practices.
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