**Hailstorm Horror: Passengers Fear for Lives During Turbulent Flight**

Passengers recount their harrowing experience during the flight, believing it might be their last as turbulence strikes amidst a severe hailstorm.

When the IndiGo aircraft took off from New Delhi heading to Srinagar, the passengers could not have anticipated the chaos that awaited them. Sheikh Samiullah, a regular flyer, recalled a sudden jolt as the flight entered a fierce hailstorm shortly after takeoff. The captain's routine safety instructions quickly turned into a scene of panic, with passengers praying fervently.

"We thought it was our last flight; we thought we were going to die," said Samiullah, who described the atmosphere as horrifying. Passengers screamed in terror as the plane plunged repeatedly, the flight attendants reportedly in tears alongside them. Eyewitness accounts revealed a collective sense of dread, punctuated by frantic prayers in various languages.

Samiullah captured the tumultuous experience on social media, portraying the distress of passengers as they endured the turbulent skies. "Nobody was expecting we would go for a safe landing," he lamented.

Miraculously, after about twenty minutes of turmoil, the aircraft touched down safely in Srinagar. Upon deplaning, passengers were confronted with the sight of the plane’s damaged nose, a testament to the severity of the hailstorm encountered mid-flight.

IndiGo later released a statement indicating that the flight had unexpectedly hit a "sudden hailstorm." The airline asserted that both the crew and passengers were guided effectively through established protocols, resulting in a safe landing.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), storms of this nature pose significant threats to aircraft safety due to hazards like hail and turbulence. Hail can form ice balls that cause critical damage to planes in mere seconds. The guidance from manufacturers, including Airbus, emphasizes that airplanes aren't equipped to withstand severe hail impacts without sustaining damage.

Past incidents, such as a tragic event where a British man lost his life aboard a Singapore Airlines flight due to turbulence, underline the risks associated with unstable flight conditions. Extreme weather like hailstorms can create dangerous flying conditions that require pilots to navigate carefully.

As air travel continues to be challenged by unpredictable weather patterns, the passengers aboard the IndiGo flight are a stark reminder of the unpredictability of aviation safety.