What happened
On November 12, 2018, at approximately 20:10 local time, an Airbus A320-214, registration CC-BFI, was engaged in a scheduled international commercial flight departing from Aeropuerto Internacional Ing. Taravella in Córdoba, Argentina. The flight was destined for Santiago, Chile.
Shortly after beginning its initial climb, the crew encountered significant weather conditions involving hail. Due to the presence of hail during the ascent phase, the flight crew decided to abort the departure and execute a return to the departure aerodrome.
The aircraft landed safely back at Córdoba International Airport. There were no injuries reported among the 174 occupants on board, and the aircraft sustained minor damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the encounter with hail during the climb phase of the flight. The JST examined the flight path, the meteorological conditions present at the time of departure, and the operational decisions made by the crew in response to the weather encounter.