An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 landed this Sunday in Vienna, with the front end suffering significant damage due to the intense hail that hit the plane at the end of the trip. The violence of the precipitation was such that it also seriously affected the outer layer of the cockpit windshield, “blinding” the pilots, who had to land in exceptional conditions. The plane, which departed from Palma de Mallorca, landed at the Austrian airport, with no injuries reported, reports El Mundo.
While flying over Italy, the plane suffered severe turbulence and was hit by a large hailstorm about 150 kilometers from Vienna. The commander and first officer declared a state of emergency and requested a priority landing in Austria. Despite visible damage to the exterior of the device, the pressurization inside the aircraft was not affected.
Dozens of images of the Austrian Airlines plane were shared on the social network X in the moments after landing at Vienna airport. You can see the inside of the “nose” of the plane, missing part of the front structure, as well as fragments of the glass used by the pilots.
Austrian Airlines A320 seriously damaged by a hail storm while approaching Vienna Airport in Austria. Despite damage to the plane’s nose and windshield, the pilots landed safely. pic.twitter.com/AIa7aL9HEQ
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The onboard monitors did not predict the hail storm. The list of damages includes breaking the outer layer of the plane’s cabin windows and destroying the nose of the fuselage, where the weather radar is located. Despite this, the plane’s main controls and engines were not affected, but repair costs will be high.
Source: Observadora
