An Austrian Airlines flight encountered severe hailstorm damage, resulting in a harrowing experience for passengers and crew on board. Flight OS434 was on its way from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, to Vienna, Austria, when it faced a tumultuous “thunderstorm cell,” as reported by Austrian Airlines.
Passenger Emmeley Oakley described the terrifying moments when the plane hit the hailstorm, causing turbulence and loud impacts on the aircraft. “We could definitely feel the hail coming down on the plane and it was quite loud and ofc super rocky for a minute,” Oakley shared.
Despite the chaos inside the cabin, the Airbus A320 successfully navigated through the storm. The cockpit crew, unaware of the severity of the weather ahead, had to make a Mayday call due to the damage inflicted by the hail. Passengers experienced items flying around the cabin, leading to moments of panic before the flight attendants intervened to calm everyone down.
Fortunately, the skilled pilots managed to land the plane safely at Vienna-Schwechat Airport, with no injuries reported among the passengers. Austrian Airlines is currently assessing the extent of the damage caused by the hailstorm.
In hindsight, Oakley praised the professionalism of the pilots and flight crew in handling the challenging situation. “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,” Oakley commended.
The unexpected encounter with the hailstorm left a lasting impression on the passengers of Flight OS434, highlighting the unpredictable nature of air travel in the midst of natural forces.
Vocabulary List:
- Hailstorm (noun): A storm with hail falling.
- Tumultuous (adjective): Characterized by loudconfused noise.
- Cabin (noun): The aircraft section where passengers are seated.
- Mayday (noun): An international radio distress signal.
- Panic (noun): A sudden strong feeling of fear or worry.
- Unpredictable (adjective): Not able to be predicted or foreseen.
