Delta flight took off into hailstorm after crews missed weather data, report finds

A Delta Air Lines flight that left Milan’s Malpensa Airport in July 2023 ran into a violent hailstorm after pilots and dispatchers failed to review all available weather data, according to a report released Thursday by Italian transportation investigators.

The Boeing 767 was bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport when it encountered severe turbulence and hail shortly after takeoff. Investigators concluded the crew’s delayed decision to change course contributed to significant damage to the aircraft.

Passengers described the experience as terrifying. “We heard very loud banging sounds on the top of the plane on the wing,” passenger Steven Coury told CNN at the time.

The flight crew diverted to Rome after the windshield cracked, the nose of the plane sustained a 30-inch-wide hole, and both wings and parts of the engines were damaged. Despite the damage, the plane landed safely with 214 passengers, eight cabin crew, and four pilots on board.

Investigators said satellite radar images available at the time showed a strong likelihood of encountering intense weather, but those images were not included in the pilots’ weather briefing. Dispatchers also failed to provide them, and air traffic control did not issue warnings about hail. The report said Delta’s meteorology department could have forecast the severe conditions but did not.

Since the incident, Delta has reminded pilots of thunderstorm and hail avoidance procedures and has begun upgrading weather radar on some aircraft.

“Delta fully cooperated with this investigation,” the airline said in a statement. “While these instances are rare, Delta is committed to making the world’s safest mode of travel even safer.”

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