Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER Returns to Atlanta Hub After Hail Damage Grounding

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, with registration N189DN, has made its way back to the United States after being grounded due to extensive hail damage. The twin-aisle plane, which spent over two weeks grounded at Rome Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport (FCO), returned to Delta’s primary hub, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), on August 7, 2023.

The incident occurred on July 24, 2023, when the Boeing 767-300ER encountered a severe hailstorm during Delta Air Lines flight DL185 from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The aircraft was forced to divert to FCO due to the hailstorm, resulting in extensive damage to the fuselage, including a punctured radome. Approximately an hour after departure from MXP, the aircraft declared a general emergency, squawking 7700, and diverted to FCO.

Images shared on social media revealed significant damage to the aircraft’s wings, as well as one of the engine spinners, in addition to the punctured radome.

Delta Air Lines received the 767-300ER from Boeing in February 1997. According to data from ch-aviation.com, the aircraft had accumulated 112,627 flight hours and 16,592 flight cycles as of May 31, 2023.

Notable Aircraft Restoration This is not the first instance of Delta Air Lines opting to restore an aircraft that had sustained significant damage. In August 2019, a Delta Boeing 757 (registration: N543US) experienced extensive fuselage damage upon landing at Aeroporto João Paulo II (PDL) in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. The aircraft was successfully returned to service in the US by December 2019 after undergoing repairs. Despite subsequent storage at San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the aircraft continued operating flights for Delta Air Lines until July 15, 2023. It was then transferred to Jacksonville Cecil Airport (VQQ) from ATL.

Data from ch-aviation.com indicates that the Boeing 757 is presently undergoing maintenance at Jacksonville Cecil Airport. Originally delivered to Northwest Airlines in May 1996, the aircraft became part of Delta Air Lines’ fleet after the carrier’s merger in 2008.