Barcelona, July 13, 2025 — A Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-300, operating as flight DL169 from Barcelona to New York JFK, was forced to return to Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) on Saturday, July 12, after encountering severe weather and hail shortly after takeoff.
According to The Aviation Herald, the crew discontinued the climb and the aircraft landed safely back in Barcelona. The incident occurred during a regional storm that triggered widespread disruptions across Catalonia.
A photo of the aircraft’s crushed radome was shared widely online — the first to post it was local aviation enthusiast @locaeropuerto, who captured the image while the aircraft was parked at a remote stand.
One passenger, Randall Gelman, posted a detailed account on The Aviation Herald, describing violent vertical and lateral movements as well as violent shaking of the aircraft minutes into the climb. He also described additional damage to the aircraft:
“Upon deplaning, the radome was crushed, along with a bent fan blade on the #1 engine. Hail strikes could be seen on the leading edge of the left wing.”
These specific damage observations have not been independently confirmed, but they align with the severe weather conditions reported in the region at the time.
Severe Weather Causes Flight Disruptions in Catalonia
The incident occurred during a DANA (cold drop) storm that swept through Catalonia on July 12, prompting red alerts from the Catalan Meteorological Service (Meteocat). The region experienced flash flooding, hail, and torrential rain — up to 90 mm per hour in some areas.
Barcelona Airport experienced significant delays and diversions due to the storm, with Eurocontrol issuing weather-related traffic flow restrictions for the region.
As of July 13, the Delta A330 remains grounded at Barcelona El Prat pending inspection and possible repairs. Delta has not issued an official statement regarding the incident. The airline’s operations in and out of Barcelona have since resumed normally.
Source: The Aviation Herald, Passenger comment via AvHerald, Meteocat, Eurocontrol
Image Source: @locaeropuerto on X
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