Authorities in Austria are investigating the course of events surrounding the flight of an Austrian Airlines aircraft, which was badly damaged by a hailstorm when the descent started. The Airbus A320 was en route from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna. The Airbus A320 of the Lufthansa subsidiary lost a large part of its nose in the hailstorm last weekend. In addition, the cockpit windows were severely damaged, making it difficult to see outside. The crew sent out a distress signal, but was able to land the aircraft safely. Since the incident, the big question has been why the plane was sent by the hailstorm. Austrian air traffic control Austro Control says it had highlighted the risk of thunderstorms with hail for the period and area of the Austrian Airlines flight. According to Austro Control, the responsibility for the chosen route lies with the pilots. According to Austrian Airlines, the flight crew stated that the thunderstorm was not visible on the weather radar. “We ask for understanding that we do not comment on ongoing investigations and are waiting for the results of the investigation,” Austrian Airlines said in response to questions from media. Austrian Airlines did not comment on reports that the captain was not in the cockpit during the descent and had left the controls of the aircraft to a less experienced co-pilot. “Both people are very experienced in their roles, both in terms of the total number of flight hours and the number of flight hours on an A320 aircraft,” the company emphasizes. As usual after such cases, the flight crew was relieved of duty for a week. After evaluating the flight data and initial findings, the crew will receive special training. After that, the pilots would be able to participate in flight operations again. Photo: A similar type of Austrian Airlines aircraft was damaged by a hailstorm last weekend (Photo: Shutterstock).
