Severe Hail Storm Forces Inspections Of Over 2 Dozen American Airlines Jets In Philadelphia

Credit: Rob Atherton | Shutterstock Published Nov 13, 2026, 1:15 AM EST Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Sign in to your Simple Flying account An adverse weather event struck parts of Delaware County and parts of Pennsylvania on Thursday, leading to dozens of American Airlines aircraft needing to be inspected at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). A heavy hailstorm resulted in parts of the city and airport looking like they had been covered in snow. In a report by aviation insider JonNYC on X, the unexpected weather front forced American to hold two dozen aircraft shortly after the hailstorm, allowing engineers to inspect the aircraft before they were cleared to fly. Up To 820 Flights Delayed Including American Airlines Credit: kamilpetran | Shutterstock An American-only ground stop following the hail resulted in delays and disruptions for many flights at Philadelphia, while general poor weather conditions in the country's northeast resulted in a total of 820 flights nationwide being delayed and a total of 65 being canceled, as reported by Oregon Live. This was caused by low clouds, persistent rain, and wind that hampered services at the airports below: Airport IATA Code Boston BOS Chicago O'Hare ORD Chicago Midway MDW New York LaGuardia LGA New York JFK JFK Newark EWR Philadelphia PHL Washington Dulles IAD Washington National DCA Baltimore BWI These flight delays and cancelations saw thousands of travelers on late-arriving flights and further disruption to onward travel plans. American Airlines Only Ground Stop Credit: Rob Atherton | Shutterstock To ensure the safety of both the aircraft and those who were set to travel onboard, an American Airlines-only ground stop was implemented at Philadelphia to allow the assessment of the aircraft. This is due to the planes being exposed to the conditions while they were parked at the gate. A number of inbound flights were also affected, with some passengers reporting long waits on aircraft parked at other US airports, including AA2412 from Tampa (TPA), where a passenger posted on Reddit that they were stranded for up to three hours until weather conditions at their destination had improved. Simple Flying reached out to American Air Lines for comment on Thursday; however, an airline spokesperson could not immediately be reached. Inspecting An Aircraft After A Severe Hailstorm Credit: veritographer | Shutterstock It is common practice for aircraft to be inspected following a hailstorm, as the high speed of the falling ice can impact the aircraft and create structural or mechanical damage to the jet that can compromise its flight safety. Hail has the ability to crack or shatter the outer layers of the cockpit windows and could impair pilot visibility and compromise the plane's structural integrity. The nose cone, known as the radome, also houses critical weather radar equipment, and hail can crack, dent, or damage the structure. Lastly, hail entering an engine can damage fan blades or compressors, which, if the engine were running, could lead to internal damage. Following severe hail storms, airlines commonly will order 'aircraft on ground' status until engineers have completed a full safety assessment before clearing the planes to return to regular service.