This Brave Pilot Managed To Land A Plane 'Blind' After Giant Hailstones Smashed The Windscreen

In a terrifying incident, an Airbus pilot recently made an emergency landing that saved the lives of 121 passengers and six crew members onboard. After giant hailstones shattered the plane's windscreen and caused severe damage to the jet's front, the 'blind' pilot landed the plane safely.

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Captain Alexander Akopov was awarded the Ukrainian Order For Courage in his home nation after successfully landing the Airbus A320 at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul on Thursday.

Hailstones the size of eggs cracked the windscreen just 10 minutes after the plane took off, left a huge dent in the tourist jet, and shut down its autopilot.?

The pilot, who had just taken off for Erkan, Cyprus, was given special permission to land at Ataturk airport despite it being closed for other flights due to bad weather.?

Passengers broke out in applause after their pilot landed them safely on the wet runway. Captain Akopov was honoured by the?Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, who conferred the Order For Courage on him.?