Graz hands over the case

AUA hail flight: Investigations now back in Lower Austria

The pictures of the damaged AUA plane went around the world

(Bild: Leserreporter/zVg)

The horror hail flight of an AUA Airbus with the flight number OS434 on June 9 is also a matter for the judiciary. Was there negligence? The investigation has now moved from the public prosecutor's office in Graz to Lower Austria.

The pictures of the AUA aircraft with the completely damaged windshield and broken nose went around the world. The 173 passengers and crew remained unharmed on the flight from Mallorca to Vienna-Schwechat - but the question remains as to why the plane flew directly into a strong thunderstorm cell. Even the emergency call "Mayday" was made. There are many speculations, for example that the pilot was in the toilet.

We went down abruptly, it really hit us for a few seconds and there was a rumble. Then I saw pieces of plastic flying past"

Passagier Manuel H.

Viennese lawyer Wolfgang List sent a statement of facts to the public prosecutor's office in Korneuburg (Lower Austria) on behalf of two passengers. The accusation is negligent endangerment of the public - probably in the direction of the pilots. The public prosecutor's office in Korneuburg initially stated that the public prosecutor's office in Graz was responsible and the file was forwarded. This was because the incident had taken place over Eastern Styria.

On Wednesday, Arnulf Rumpold, spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in Graz, then said that the case had been "handed back" to his colleagues in Lower Austria. The local jurisdiction had turned out to be wrong. Now it's back to the public prosecutors in Korneuburg.