Passengers Terrorized On Plane That Flew Through Violent Storm Over Paraguay

 Jan Wesner Childs

Published: October 27, 2022

A​n airliner was heavily damaged in what was a terrifying flight for passengers through a powerful storm over Paraguay Wednesday night.

B​y the time LATAM Flight 1325 made an emergency landing in the capital of Asunción, the plane was missing its noseand the windshield was dotted with pockmarks.

V​ideo shared to social media by people on board showed violent drops and extreme turbulence, and passengers were heard screaming.

"We felt as if the plane was falling. When we were going to go to Asunción, we all felt that we were going to die, people began to cry and due to gravity we hit our heads on the seats," one woman told Radio Nanduti. "The experience was very traumatic. ... It's a situation that I don't wish on anyone."

A​ statement from LATAM said no one was injured. The aircraft was an Airbus 320, which typically carries between 140 and 170 passengers. Paraguay newspaper ABC said 43 people were on board.

The plane hit a powerful spring storm with a nasty squall line, including hail, wind and lightning.

A​viation officials in Paraguay are questioning why the plane flew through such violent weather and say an investigation will be launched. M​edia reports said the plane landed with only one engine, and the pilot may have been warned about the bad weather before takeoff.

P​araguay is south of the equator, so it's springtime there now. Heat is starting to pump southward from the Amazon this time of year, creating conditions ripe for thunderstorms, weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles.

"Storm systems spin the opposite way down there," said Belles. "The main storm system was located in the far south Atlantic, and the cold front and squall line was moving northeastward with cold air to the south or behind it."

T​here were also reports of flooding in the region.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.