Hero pilot lands jet ‘blind’ after storm causes thousands of cracks in aircraft’s windscreen

A PILOT was forced to land a passenger plane without being able to see after an almighty hailstorm caused thousands of cracks in its windscreen.

A China Southern Airlines pilot was left flying “blind” after a serious hailstorm severely damaged his plane’s windshield. Picture: CEN/Australscope

A PILOT has heroically landed a passenger jet “blind” after a hailstorm damaged the plane’s windscreen making it impossible to see through the glass.

Dramatic pictures taken of the plane show serious damage to the nose and two windscreens after the Airbus A320 flew directly into the large blocks of ice, The Sun reports.

The China Southern Airlines flight was undertaking a domestic trip from Guangzhou to Chengdu when the hailstorm struck.

The plane was battered by hail during the flight from Guangzhou to Chengdu, China. Picture: CEN/Australscope

Met by the unpredictable weather, the captain of Flight 3484 had no choice but to plough through the rough conditions, battling the large hail midair.

The serious storm caused thousands of cracks in the plane’s windshield. Picture: CEN/Australscope

The windscreen was severely damaged and cracked by the ice blocks but it did not shatter, and despite the poor visibility the pilot successfully landed at Chengdu Airport at 7:51pm.

The nose of the jet was also damaged. Picture: CEN/Australscope

The craft successfully taxied to the airport apron, where further pictures show where the nose of the plane had been battered by the hail.

Passengers praised the pilot for managing to land the plane safely. Picture: CEN/Australscope

The hail also tore off all its paint and even left little craters on the plane’s panels.

Passengers on the flight later praised the flight crew for their efforts in ensuring their safety as well as helping to keep passengers calm.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.