Delta Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Denver After Hail Damages

The flight from Boston to Salt Lake City made a stop Friday night after the severe weather had limited pilots’ visibility with cracks in the front windshield and a large part of the aircraft’s cone was destroyed.

The Airbus A320 departed Boston and was scheduled to land in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the weather prompted the pilots to land in Denver, the nearest suitable airport once the storm hit, Delta spokeswoman Liz Savadelis said. Another plane was brought in for the passengers to continue their journey to Salt Lake City.

The Delta airlines flight 1889 was diverted for an emergency landing at DIA where it landed safely at 9 p.m. Friday.

Photos sent in by viewers showed the aircraft’s windshield was shattered and the nose of the plane was heavily damaged. “And as soon as I realized I had done that, I was like, ‘I’m all right”.

Global Positioning System navigation equipment in the front of the plane was also damaged, according to ABC.

Many feared for their lives, and in some cases, “people were kind of holding hands and others were crying”, passenger Rob Wessman told ABC.

Delta passenger Beau Sorenson tweeted out the picture of the damage to the plane which was extensive. “It was really intense”.

The FAA will investigate the incident.