A Delta Airlines flight from Milan to New York made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff after being pummelled by hail amid “severe turbulence”. A report by the New York Post said that plane was diverted to Rome on Monday after it suffered damage to its nose and fuselage near the wings.
There were no injuries and the flight landed without further incident 65 minutes after departure. The report said that the flight suffered substantial damage to its right-hand wing and both its engines. There was damage to its radome and edges of the wings.
Pictures of the plane showing large holes in the nose cone were shared on social media. The flight has 215 passengers onboard and three pilots and eight flight attendants.
Passengers told media outlets that when the plane was hit with turbulence it felt like a roller coaster ride 15 minutes after takeoff. A passenger said there were noises they never heard before and hail was pounding on the roof of the plane.
A passenger saw the wing of the plane shaking violently and at one point they felt it would break off. “The turbulence was like being on a roller coaster ride dropping significantly. I saw flashes of light like lightning hitting the plane,” the passenger said.
The passenger also said the nose of the plane was damaged to such a degree that it may have damaged the navigation system. He mentioned that both engines were damaged as one had a hole in it and another appears damaged.
“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 are 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 said in a statement.
