Delta Airlines flight makes emergency landing after getting battered by hail storm

A Delta Airlines flight from Milan to New York was hit by severe turbulence and hail soon after takeoff, leading to an emergency landing. The plane had to be rerouted to Rome due to heavy damage to the fuselage near the wings and nose.

According to a New York Post report, there were 215 passengers, eight flight attendants and three pilots onboard the Delta 185 flight when the incident took place. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, despite the haphazard nature of the landing.

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Photos and videos posted by passengers of the aircraft showed how extensive the damage was. The nose of the plane was nearly blown off while large holes were spotted in numerous regions.

“We take off, it’s a normal takeoff, we get into the air a few minutes later, we encounter severe turbulence and we all hear noise we’ve never heard before,” Steven Coury, a passenger was quoted as saying by the publication. “And that was hail pounding on the roof of the plane."

“One passenger looked out the window and saw the wing shaking violently like it was gonna break off. Look, I saw flashes of light like lightning hitting the plane. And the turbulence was like being on a roller coaster ride dropping significantly," he added.

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Meanwhile, Delta Airlines released a statement saying the flight was diverted due to extreme weather.

"Delta flight 185 from Milan to New York-JFK diverted to Rome after experiencing an apparent weather-related maintenance issue shortly after departure. The flight landed safely in Rome where passengers deplaned normally and where maintenance personnel is conducting a thorough evaluation of the aircraft. Delta apologises for the delay in our customers' journey. The safety of our customers and crew is Delta's top priority."

Delta Airlines remains in the news

Notably, this is not the first instance when Delta Airlines has made headlines this year. In March, a passenger aboard Delta Flight 1714 from Los Angeles to Seattle was arrested after opening one of the aircraft doors and sliding down the emergency exit slide.

The plane was immediately stopped by the pilots as the man jumped onto the back of a baggage cart. The Delta staff nabbed the passenger before handing him over to the LAX Police.

Last month, a 61-year-old Delta pilot was arrested at Edinburgh Airport30 minutes before his flightfor being under the influence of alcohol.

(With inputs from agencies)

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