Passengers were left in shock as their plane faced severe turbulence, hail, and even bird strikes, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft’s nose. Footage showed visibly distressed travelers gripping their seats tightly.
On Wednesday, as the flight was en route from New Delhi to Srinagar, it encountered particularly rough weather. In the shared videos, a terrified passenger can be heard screaming in fear while the plane jolted around amid flashes of lightning illuminating the cabin.
The pilot contacted Air Traffic Control in Srinagar about an hour and a half after takeoff, successfully landing the plane despite the challenging conditions.
After landing, images from the scene revealed a gaping hole in the nose of the aircraft. Fortunately, all 227 passengers aboard remained unharmed, though many were understandably rattled by the experience.
Fly witness Owice Hackum recalled, “I was on this flight, and now I’m just heading home. It’s awful, and honestly, I’m still processing it.”
Another passenger, Aaqib, mentioned, “We had a close call on that flight from Delhi to Srinagar. Hats off to the captain for getting us down safely, and a big thank you to the cabin crew for their calm professionalism.”
Currently, the aircraft is set for an inspection by ground crew.
This isn’t the first time such a scenario has unfolded. Last June, a flight from an Austrian airline faced similar hail complications, which caused damage to the nose and left a cracked cockpit window. Despite the peril, that plane also made it safely to Vienna.
