The nose and cockpit windows of an Austrian Airlines flight were damaged in a hailstorm Sunday, multiple outlets reported.
The flight from Palma de Mallorca, Spain to Vienna was damaged when the aircraft hit a “thunderstorm cell,” Austrian Airlines told ABC News in a statement.
The hail reportedly took off most of the plane’s nose, according to photos, and also cracked the glass cockpit windows. No passengers were hurt during the flight, the airline told the New York Post (NYP). (RELATED: Video Shows Jet After Sliding Off Snowy New York Runway At Airport)
Austrian Airlines A320 severely damaged by a hailstorm while on approach to Vienna Airport in Austria. Despite the damage to the aircraft’s nose and windscreen the pilots landed safely. pic.twitter.com/AIa7aL9HEQ
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) June 9, 2024
“I think we were about 20 minutes from landing when we got into a cloud of hail and thunderstorm, and the turbulence started,” passenger Emmeley Oakley told ABC News with a text. “We could definitely feel the hail coming down on the plane and it was quite loud and ofc super rocky for a minute.”
The plane flew through the hailstorm for approximately two minutes, Oakley estimated to the outlet. The incident reportedly sent “phones and cups” tossing about the aircraft, according to the passenger.
Despite sudden turbulence and hail, the cabin crew calmed passengers’ concerns, Oakley told the outlet. “It wasn’t until we exited that we saw the nose was missing! The pilots really did an excellent job keeping things as smooth and safe as they could,” the passenger reportedly texted.
The crew issued a Mayday alert during the incident due to the damage to the plane, according to ABC News. The aircraft reportedly landed safely in Vienna-Schwechat Airport and the damage is now being inspected by Austrian Airlines, the airline said.
