0 min left

Hail Damage Forces Delta Flight to Divert Landing

Delta Air Lines Airbus A319, tail number N342NB

A Delta Air Lines A319 will be out of service for several days, after running into damaging hail while approaching the New York area. Delta Flight 1076 was forced to divert to another airport after the radome was caved in from the storm.

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 was forced to divert its landing in New York, after a hailstorm caused the radome to cave in. In a statement to FlyerTalk, the airline confirmed Delta Flight 1076, flying from West Palm Beach, Florida to LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) in New York City on Monday, July 6, 2020, experienced the damage at the end of the flight.

Flight Experienced Hail When Approaching New York

According to data from FlightRadar24, the flight was routine, departing from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) in Florida. When approaching the New York area, the aircraft (pictured above) flew into a storm, where it suffered the nose damage. While originally thought to be the result of a bird strike, Delta confirmed hail to be the culprit.

“Delta flight 1076 operating from West Palm Beach to New York-LaGuardia diverted to New York-JFK out of an abundance of caution following a mechanical issue,” the airline confirmed in their statement “The flight landed safely and without incident, and maintenance is evaluating the aircraft.”

Videos and pictures from ABC affiliate WABC-TV showed the aircraft landing with the caved-in radome. Despite being diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport, the aircraft arrived safely and without additional incident, and all 43 passengers aboard were able to deplane safely. There were no injuries aboard the flight.

 

Aircraft Out for Several Days for Repair

After landing, the aircraft was taken back to Delta’s maintenance facilities, where it will be evaluated for additional damage and repairs. The Atlanta-based airline anticipates the aircraft will be out for several days.

It’s not unusual for aircraft to take damage from hail storms during the summer months. Earlier this year, WestJet installed puck boards over critical flight components on parked aircraft to prevent harm from hail, while an American Airlines flight in 2018 was forced to make an emergency landing when ice cracked the cockpit windshield.

0 Comments