Amidst a harrowing hailstorm, passengers on an IndiGo flight from New Delhi to Srinagar experienced moments of sheer terror, praying for safety as the aircraft faced extreme turbulence before landing successfully.
Shocking Encounter: IndiGo Flight Faces Life-Threatening Hailstorm
Shocking Encounter: IndiGo Flight Faces Life-Threatening Hailstorm
Passengers recount terrifying moments aboard an IndiGo flight as it hit a severe hailstorm en route to Srinagar.
In a nerve-wracking incident, passengers aboard an IndiGo flight traveling from New Delhi to Srinagar found themselves in life-threatening peril when their plane encountered a sudden and intense hailstorm. Sheikh Samiullah, a seasoned traveler and chief executive of a logistics company, experienced what he described as several horrifying minutes of free fall during the encounter.
As the aircraft hit severe turbulence, Mr. Samiullah observed that panic swept through the cabin, prompting passengers and even crew members to call upon their respective deities in desperate prayers. The tumult was intense, with the plane lurching violently as it plunged downward. “We thought it was our last flight; we thought we were going to die,” he recalled vividly, highlighting the collective panic that took hold during those agonizing moments.
In the wake of the harrowing ordeal, footage shared by Mr. Samiullah depicted terrified passengers expressing their fears as the aircraft shook, an embodiment of the chaos unfolding in the cabin. Fortunately, approximately twenty minutes later, the aircraft safely landed in Srinagar, but not before revealing significant damage— a sizable portion of the plane's nose was missing, evidencing the hail's ferocity.
IndiGo Airlines confirmed the distressing situation, stating that the flight indeed experienced an unexpected hailstorm, but notably emphasized that all protocols were followed by the cabin crew to ensure a safe landing. Safety authorities including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) underscore that turbulence and hail pose considerable risks during storms, noting that hailstones can swiftly cause damage and should be navigated around using advanced weather radars when possible.
This incident mirrors previous turbulence-related accidents, such as the tragic case involving a Singapore Airlines flight last year, highlighting ongoing concerns about air travel safety during turbulent weather conditions. Monika Cvorak contributed to this report.
