An Austrian plane sustained severe damage to its nose and windshield while flying through a hailstorm

Austrian Airlines flight on its way to Vienna It was severely damaged by an unexpected hailstorm on Sunday.

the PlanesThe plane, which was carrying 173 passengers and six crew members, was en route from Palma de Mallorca in Spain when it sustained damage to its nose, front cockpit windows and panels.

“I think we were about 20 minutes from landing when we got into a hail and thunderstorm cloud, and the turbulence started,” Emily Oakley, a passenger on the plane, told ABC News.

Those on board “could feel the hailstones falling on the plane and it was very loud [of course] “So rocky for a minute,” she told the outlet via text.

The pilot of the Airbus A320 was able to land safely, despite the severe damage to the plane, which included major cracks in the front windows.

“The pilots did a really excellent job of keeping things as smooth and safe as possible,” Ms Oakley said, praising the pilots and cabin crew for their efforts to calm distressed passengers.

The airline confirmed that no passengers were injured in the accident.

“An Airbus A320 sustained hail damage during yesterday’s flight OS434 from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna,” Austrian Airlines said in a statement to CNN on Monday.

“The aircraft was caught in a thunderstorm cell on approach to Vienna, which according to the cockpit crew was not visible on weather radar.”

According to current information, the two front cockpit windows of the plane are the front of the plane [the “radome”] Some panels were damaged by the hail.

The incident comes weeks after A The Singapore Airlines flight carried 211 passengers And 18 crew members London A plane heading to Singapore was exposed to sudden air turbulence, which led to the death of one passenger, while dozens were injured.

The Boeing 777 experienced sudden turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin on May 20, flinging people and objects around the cabin. The plane was diverted to Thailand.

A 73-year-old British man has died of a suspected heart attack and dozens have been taken to hospital, including those with spinal, brain, bone or organ injuries. Nineteen people remained in hospital Bangkok.

Singapore Airlines said on Tuesday that it had offered compensation of $10,000 to passengers who suffered minor injuries.

“For those who sustained more serious injuries from the accident, we have invited them to discuss a compensation offer to meet each of their specific circumstances when they feel well and are ready to do so,” she said in a statement.