PHOTOS: Chengdu-Bound Flight Gets Hammered by Hail

China Southern Airlines flight CZ3483 from Guangzhou to Chengdu experienced a rather terrifying run-in with a hail storm on July 9.

The hail encounter resulted in considerable damage to the front of the airplane, including damage to the nose and cockpit windshield. Despite the horrifying images circulating online of flight CZ3483, the plane managed to land safely at Chendgu’s Shuangliu Airport at 7.51pm, according to a Civil Aviation Maintenance Forum report. 

Civil aviation maintenance experts, quoted by QQ News, stated the Airbus A320’s cockpit windshield is a robust product composed of multiple layers, including vinyl and laminated plexiglass. They further claim the cockpit window is built to withstand the impact of hail, birds and other foreign objects.

“Houston, er… Chengdu, we have a problem.”

Hat’s off to the pilots and flight crew for landing the damaged aircraft and getting all the passengers safety to their destination!