THE PLANE RIDE FROM HAIL

Hero pilot lands holiday jet ‘blind’ after massive storm causes thousands of cracks in the battered aircraft’s windscreen
The pilot of the domestic flight in China has been called a hero for miraculously landing the plane despite being unable to see out its windows

Pic shows: Pictures of the plane damaged by hail 

The captain and flight crew of a domestic flight in China are being praised after the pilot safely landed the plan during a serious hailstorm. Dramatic pictures of the plane back at the airport apron show the serious damage caused to the nose and front windscreens after the Airbus A320 flew directly into the large blocks of ice. Reports said China Southern Airlines flight 3483 had taken off from Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong Province, and was bound for Chengdu, capital of south-west China’s Sichuan Province, when the hailstorm struck. Met by the unpredictable weather, which seems typical of the recent severe and freak weather phenomenon, the captain of flight CZ3484 had no choice but to plough through the rough conditions, battling the large hail mid-air. Pictures show the windscreen damaged and cracked by the ice blocks, but despite the poor visibility the plane was successfully landed at Chengdu airport at 7:51pm in the evening. The craft was successfully parked at the airport apron, where further pictures show where the nose of the plane had been battered by the hail, which tore off all of its paint and even left little craters as it flew headlong into the frightening storm. Passengers on the flight as well as members of the public all over China are reportedly praising the flight crew for their efforts in ensuring their safety as well as helping to keep the passengers calm.

The front of the plane was peppered by slabs of ice when it flew into a storm

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