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A Delta Airlines flight to Rome was forced to turn around and return to Boston over the Atlantic Ocean after being struck by lightning.
Delta Flight 112 between Boston Logan International Airport and Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport was disrupted by terrible weather on Sunday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported.
According to Flightradar24, the seven-year-old Airbus A330 made a U-turn while flying over the Atlantic Ocean during a scheduled seven-hour flight.
After the strike, the plane landed safely in Boston. No injuries were reported.
“Delta Flight 112, flying from Boston to Rome, returned to Boston as a precaution after the aircraft encountered lightning,” Delta said in a statement.
Delta Flight 112 between Boston Logan International Airport and Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport was disrupted by lightning strike Sunday evening
The plane had to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean and land in Boston due to the weather incident
“The flight landed safely and without further incident.”
Firefighters were dispatched to the airport and were seen at around 7:20 p.m. when the plane landed.
Delta made every effort to get passengers to their destinations after the disruption.
“We are committed to getting our customers to their final destinations as quickly as possible and we apologize for any delays in their journey,” Delta said.
“The safety of our customers and employees remains Delta’s top priority.”
The FAA said it was investigating the incident, but stressed that the federal agency’s “regulations require commercial aircraft to withstand lightning strikes.”
But this is not the first time a commercial airliner has been struck by lightning at 30,000 feet in a terrifying incident.
Last month, a British Airways plane was struck by lightning while landing at London Heathrow Airport.
The 13-year-old Airbus A320 had to divert to London Gatwick Airport and remained there for almost six hours before being allowed to fly again.
In February, a United Airlines Boeing 732 and a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo were struck by lightning on the same day.
The United plane was flying between Jacksonville International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport and was approaching the airport when the incident occurred.
Spirit’s Airbus A320neo was en route from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport to Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport, but was forced to divert to Chicago O’Hare after being struck by lightning.
Lightning strikes during flights are common and usually harmless. Most incidents occur during takeoff or landing, or at altitudes between 5,000 and 15,000 feet.
According to experts, most planes are struck by lightning once or twice a year.
