"Plane Damaged by Hail Like 'Machine Gun Fire,' Emergency Landing in Roma"

No casualties reported from the accident
Both wings and engine damaged, cockpit glass shattered

Recently, a Delta Air Lines passenger plane in the United States was heavily criticized as a "reckless flight" after it was hit by hail over northern Italy's Milan and made an emergency landing in Rome.

Passenger plane with radome fallen off due to hail damage. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to local daily 'Corriere della Sera' and other foreign media on the 26th (local time), the passenger plane that took off from Milan Malpensa Airport at 12:29 PM on the 24th and was flying to New York JFK Airport suffered severe turbulence and hail damage, then changed course southward and made an emergency landing at Rome Fiumicino Airport at 1:55 PM.

Fortunately, there were no casualties from the incident, but the radome at the front of the plane was torn off while passing through the turbulence and hail. Several parts of both wings and one engine were damaged, and a hole was punctured in the cockpit window.

The airline stated, "Both the aircraft and passengers landed safely," adding, "The aircraft sustained some damage during the severe weather, and the local maintenance team is currently inspecting it."

Passenger Maria Teresa Bergamaschi told the media, "I hoped the flight would be delayed due to bad weather," explaining the "moment of terror," "We encountered turbulence immediately after takeoff, and hail poured down like machine gun fire."

Northern Lombardy, Italy, where Milan is located, has experienced severe weather in recent days, including storms accompanied by hail the size of tennis balls.
[Video source=YouTube capture]

In Lombardy, northern Italy where Milan is located, the weather had been unfavorable for several days, with hail the size of tennis balls and multiple storms accompanied by strong winds.

On the day of the passenger plane incident, a woman in her 50s also died after being crushed by a tree.

Local media confirmed with the meteorological agency that at the time, storms, hail with a diameter of 5 cm, and thunderstorms were present, raising questions about whether the flight was a reckless one that underestimated the severe weather.

The media sent an official questionnaire to Delta Air Lines, but Delta only responded, "We confirm that safety is our top priority and are investigating the incident," according to reports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.