Airbus A320 severely damaged by hail storm before landing in Austria

An Airbus A320 sustained heavy damage from a mid-air hail storm during a Sunday flight from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna, as confirmed by Austrian Airlines.

The crew of Flight OS434 issued a distress call as the airplane was hit by hail. Photos shared on social media depicted shattered cockpit windows and missing parts of the nose. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

“The aircraft encountered a thunderstorm cell during its approach to Vienna, which was not detected on the weather radar by the cockpit crew. The hail caused damage to the two front cockpit windows, the aircraft nose (radome), and some coverings,” stated the airline. “Despite the damage, the aircraft was able to land safely at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. All passengers were unharmed. Our technical team is currently evaluating the extent of the damage. The safety of our passengers and crews remains our top priority.”

FlightAware reported that the flight landed at 5:59 p.m. local time after a flight duration of two hours and 19 minutes.

There have been several incidents involving mid-air hail storms in the past. In 2018, a hail storm caused significant damage to a Boliviana de Aviación airline flight near Buenos Aires without any injuries. Additionally, in 2018, an American Airlines flight bound for Phoenix had to divert to El Paso due to hail damage.