A VIOLENT HAILSTORM ripped a hole in the front of Boeing 747, causing passengers to “fly” out of their seats.
The Delta flight, from Detroit in the US to Seoul, South Korea, hit the hailstorm over China around two weeks ago.
Passenger Brian Walker told the Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal that the storm was strong enough to make the plane feel like it had “vertically dropped” shortly after the pilot told passengers to buckle up.
“The plane was dropping vertically then ‘slamming’ into something.
This happened about seven times. The few unbuckled (passengers) initially flew up to hit the overhead bins. Anything loose in the cabin flew. All of the meal and beverage carts were spilled.
“My glasses flew off my face and luckily were recovered several rows away. Luggage was tossed out of overhead bins onto the heads of passengers.”
Amazingly, the pilot finished the flight.
Having been unable to get permission to fly around the weather from Chinese air traffic control and being near North Korea, the 26-year-old plane carried on the South Korean capital.
The 747′s nose-cone and wing were damaged and it is not yet known if it will return to service. Delta plans on retiring its fleet of 747s by 2017.
Delta reported the incident to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), but reported no injuries.
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