A new fear emerged. Passengers got more than they bargained for on their most recent trip when lightning struck a Delta flight. The Federal Aviation Administration made the following statement. "Delta Flight 112 headed to Rome from Logan International Airport on Sunday evening when the flight crew reported a lightning strike following departure."
Lighting Strikes Delta Flight
Shutterstock Markus Mainka
Passengers were excited en route to Italy when lightning struck their Delta flight. The flight crew planned for the flight to take approximately seven hours. However they had to turn around quickly while passing over the Atlantic. A Delta spokesperson tried to stop widespread panic by explaining that the plane returned to Logan Airport out of "out of an abundance of caution."
Delta prioritizes customer safety, and immediately turning around after lightning strikes the Delta flight further proves that statement. When the plane landed fire trucks arrived to the scene to inspect the plane. A Delta spokesperson stated, "The flight landed safely and without further incident."
Does Lightning Strike Planes Often?
After this terrifying incident, you may be wondering just how often lightning strikes planes. The good news is that while lightning strikes are a regular occurrence, they are not often deadly. Airplanes often experience lightning strikes, so it is not unusual when it happens. The National Weather Service said, "Passenger planes are struck by lightning an average of once or twice every year."
Now, you may be thinking, "What if I am on a plane when it gets struck by lightning one or two times?" What will happen? The National Weather Service says, "They are designed and built to have conducting paths through the plane to take the lightning strike and conduct the currents." Fox Weather also claims that "Electrical systems on airplanes are built to withstand a lightning strike, but one of higher intensity can damage systems that rely on electricity." Because planes are meant to withstand lightning strikes, the chance of being hurt is lessened.
