Probe launched after LATAM plane's nose destroyed in storm

  • Published
The LATAM plane parked at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Paraguay on 27 OctoberImage source, Reuters

An investigation has been launched after a LATAM Airlines plane's nose was destroyed and the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at its destination in Paraguay.

Flight LA1325 was flying between Santiago de Chile and Asunción on Wednesday when it got caught in a storm.

Photos posted online showed the tip of the plane's nose destroyed and cracks on the front windshield after landing.

Passengers and crew were unharmed.

The plane's journey got off to a bumpy start, after having to make an unscheduled stop at Brazil's Foz do Iguaçu airport due to poor weather conditions over its destination in the Paraguayan capital Asunción, according to a LATAM Paraguay statement, external.

The plane then resumed its flight to Asunción after weather conditions had improved at the destination, it said.

But the bad weather returned and led to the plane - an Airbus-320 - having to make an emergency landing in Asunción late on Wednesday night.

Videos posted on social media showed severe turbulence on the flight, with passengers screaming as the plane travelled through the storm.

The airline said passengers and crew arrived in Paraguay "in good physical condition" and were immediately attended to by ground staff.

Paraguay's National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics and LATAM Airlines Paraguay are investigating the issue, along with the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics of Chile.

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