Flight DL185
Plane totally dented: Delta Air Lines machine takes off directly in a hailstorm
The Delta Air Lines plane looked quite battered after the hailstorm, as shown in these photos posted to Twitter. Luckily nobody was apparently injured.
©Screenshot / Twitter
A Delta Air Lines flight had to make an emergency landing shortly after take-off. At Milan, the machine steered straight into a storm.
It must have been a very uncomfortable moment for the passengers on flight DL185. Shortly after the US airline’s Boeing 767-300 Delta Air Lines took off from Milan-Malpensa on Monday afternoon, the plane got caught in a severe storm, several news agencies and air news magazines report. Actually, the Boeing, which offers space for about 260 passengers, should fly to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
But while the machine was still climbing over northern Italy, it flew into a hailstorm, writes “Aero.de”, among other things. There was severe turbulence, hailstones hit the fuselage and wings. The pilots should have aborted the flight.
The Delta Air Lines plane landed safely in Rome a good hour later
The plane then headed south to Rome, where it landed safely at Fiumicino Airport about an hour later, it said. According to the reports, there were no injuries.
But there was “some damage” to the machine, writes the German Press Agency (dpa), citing a report by the Italian news agency Ansa, but giving no details.
However, the plane looks quite battered in photos posted on social media. “Aero.de” mentions damage to the wings, fuselage, both engines and the radome, i.e. the plastic-covered nose of the aircraft, under which the antenna dome is located. According to the Aviation Herald, the cockpit window was also damaged.
The machine is said to be 26 years old. It is unclear how complex their repair will be. The reports do not explain why she got into this storm. Airplanes usually avoid thunderstorms for safety reasons.
The regular flight departs from Milan at 12:30 p.m. local time and arrives in New York at 3:30 p.m. local time. According to the reports, she should have taken off with a few minutes delay.
Severe storms had repeatedly fallen in northern Italy in the past few days.
Sources: “Aero.de“, “The Aviation Herald“, “Bild.de” / with material from dpa
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