Airbus Strikes Hailstorm - In just a few moments, a high-value flight to Vienna sustained substantial damage.
The pilots and travelers of flight OS434 experienced a shocking event when their Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 was approaching the Vienna-Schwechat airport on Sunday afternoon and came upon a hailstorm.
At an altitude of 6,000 meters, hailstones started to rip through the outermost layer of the cockpit windows. This fierce weather system also wreaked havoc on the plane's nose and the radar behind it. Amazingly, due to the layered design of the cockpit windows, no change in atmospheric pressure was noticed within the aircraft.
Official Response from Austrian Airlines
Upon querying by stern, Austrian Airlines verified: "We can confirm that flight OS434 from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna was hit by hail while approaching Vienna. The aircraft experienced the hail through a thunderstorm during its descent." As per their explanation, this storm was not visible on the aircraft's weather radar.
The aircraft's two front cockpit windows, its nose (radome), and other coverings were all damaged. A spokesperson for the airline noted that due to this damage, an SOS distress call was made. Nonetheless, the aircraft landed safely at Vienna-Schwechat Airport.
The 173 passengers and six flight crew members suffered no harm. An Austrian Airlines Technik team has been tasked with examining the full extent of the damages sustained by the plane. Ensuring the safety of passengers and crew is a top priority for Austrian Airlines.
Hailstorm's Impact on Mallorca's Flight
An image shared with Vienna's weather center on the X platform shows the devastated Airbus A320 with its absent nose and smashed cockpit windows. As noted in the aviation publication "Austrian Wings," the potential cost of the damage could run into six figures.
"Austrian Airlines" indicated that the hailstorm encounter lasted for only a few seconds, and the plane touched down late by just five minutes.
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The damaged Airbus A320, originally scheduled for a flight from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna, was actually hit by a hailstorm during its descent. Despite this unexpected incident, the skilled pilots managed to safely land the plane at Majorca's airport before continuing on to Vienna-Schwechat Airport.
