Terrifying moment passenger jet was hit by violent hail and lightning storm that destroyed its nose cone as it came into land in Paraguay

• Flight LA1325, operated by LATAM Airlines Paraguay, had been caught in severe weather while flying to Asunción from Santiago de Chile late on Wednesday 
• The plane had been received by LATAM in July 2012 and was set to be retired in 2024 
• Videos and images on social media showed the airborne aircraft shaking badly while lightning flashed outside 
• The tip of the plane’s nose was shattered and the windshield had small cracks, the head of Paraguay’s National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics said 

Paraguay’s aviation authority has opened up an investigation after an airplane’s nose shattered and was destroyed mid-flight during a severe hailstorm.

Flight LA1325, operated by LATAM Airlines Paraguay, had been caught in severe weather while flying to Asunción from Santiago de Chile late on Wednesday – and was forced to make an emergency landing. 

The plane – an AirBus A320 – had been received by LATAM in July 2012 and was set to be retired in 2024, according to Flying Safely.  

Shocking videos and images on social media showed the airborne aircraft shaking badly while lightning flashed outside.

The tip of the plane’s nose was shattered and the windshield had small cracks, the head of Paraguay’s National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics, Félix Kanasawa, told local radio.

Terrified people on board recorded the horrifying moment they flew through the storm, before making an abrupt landing.  

Paraguay’s aviation authority said on Thursday it had opened an investigation after a LATAM Airline plane’s nose was destroyed during a severe storm that forced it to make an emergency landing

Flight LA1325, operated by LATAM Airlines Paraguay, had been caught in severe weather while flying to Asunción from Santiago de Chile late on Wednesday

Photos later showed the cone of the plane’s nose completely deteriorated from the hail.   

‘This issue is under investigation, both on the DINAC side and on the side of the airline,’ Kanasawa said.

The flight had initially been diverted to an airport in Brazil in an attempt to wait out the storm. 

The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics of Chile said in a statement on Twitter that the aircraft, an Airbus 320, made an emergency landing ‘due to extreme and unforeseen weather conditions’.

LATAM Airlines Paraguay said in a statement that the aircraft ‘experienced severe weather conditions’ that forced it to make an emergency landing around 11pm local time on Wednesday, which it managed to do successfully.

‘Both passengers and crew are in good condition,’ it added.

The plane – an AirBus A320, after an AirBus A330 had plunged into chaos last week – been received by LATAM in July 2012 and was set to be retired in 2024

This comes just a week after a flight was plunged into chaos when it hit turbulence that threw screaming passengers around the cabin, with one breaking their nose on the ceiling.

The Aerolíneas Argentinas AR1133 flight to Buenos Aires took off at 8.21pm on October 18 from Madrid.

But the Airbus A330 carrying 271 passengers and 13 crew members was affected by bad turbulence around seven hours into the 12-hour flight off the coast of Brazil.

The passenger jet sagged and shook around at 11,500 meters (38,000 feet) above the Atlantic. 

The flight fell into pandemonium, with passengers, most of whom had been sleeping, panicking and food and drinks trolleys thrown around.

Aerolíneas Argentinas said that at the time of the turbulence, seat belt signs were on and an announcement had been made.

But some passengers fumbling for seatbelts or those who were unbuckled at the time hit the ceiling.

Trolleys and bags hurtled through the cabin as hand luggage compartments opened.

At least 12 people were injured and three of them were later hospitalized with severe injuries. One was left with a broken nose, according to Bild.

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