An Austrian Airlines flight traveling from Palma de Mallorca, Spain to Vienna, Austria encountered severe hail weather conditions on Sunday, June 9, 2024. The Airbus A320, identified as flight OS434 and registration OE-LBM, sustained damage to its nose radome, weather radar, and windshield during the incident.
Flight OS434 departed Palma de Mallorca at 3:55 pm CEST and climbed to its cruising altitude of 34,000 feet over the Mediterranean Sea. It was during this climb that the aircraft encountered the hail. Despite the damage, the flight continued safely to Vienna and landed at 5:59 pm CEST after approximately two hours of flight time.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew. The extent of the damage to the aircraft is currently unknown, and Austrian Airlines has not yet commented on the incident.
This incident serves as a reminder of the potential dangers of severe weather conditions for aircraft. Hail can cause significant damage to airplanes, and pilots are trained to avoid such storms whenever possible.
Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’
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