Delta flight from Chicago to Boston lands safely after likely being struck by LIGHTNING during East Coast storms
- The flight from Chicago to Boston landed safely at Logan Airport on Monday evening
- The Delta Airlines plane with 85 passengers on board was inspected by airport staff upon arrival
- The possible lightning bolt comes amid subtropical storms moving across the Atlantic Ocean toward the southeastern coast
A Delta flight managed to land safely after it was apparently struck by lightning mid-flight before being taken out of service and inspected by the crew upon arrival.
Delta Flight 2346 left Chicago O’Hare Airport at 8:54 PM CDT on Monday and landed at Boston’s Logan Airport at 11:45 PM EST after a stressful cross-country trip that likely left the plane struck by lightning.
Airport staff inspected the aircraft when the Airbus A220 arrived at Terminal A of Logan Airport with 85 passengers on board.
Delta Airlines said in a statement: “Because safety is always Delta’s top priority, the aircraft is being removed from service for review in accordance with our usual procedures.”
The company has not confirmed whether the plane was struck by lightning during the trip.
A Delta flight landed safely Monday evening after possibly being struck by a lightning bolt mid-flight
The Airbus A220 was carrying 85 passengers traveling from Chicago O’Hare Airport to Boston Logan Airport
After the plane landed safely in Boston at 11:45 p.m., airport staff inspected the plane for any damage or warning signs from the possible lightning strike but found nothing of concern.
MassPort – Massachusetts Port Authority – had emergency crews on standby Monday evening who could be seen on an aerial platform inspecting the exterior of the plane.
Former MassPort CEO Tom Kinton said, “It’s not common because it happens every time, as air traffic controllers and pilots all take precautions to avoid and go around storms, especially if they are severe in nature.”
Kinton said: ‘The aircraft is designed to absorb the impact and then allow the electricity to flow through the fuselage and exit the aircraft. So you may experience some disturbances: the lights flicker and the electronic equipment in the cockpit switches on and off. Things get fixed pretty quickly – within seconds.”
According to the National Weather Service, commercial passenger planes are struck by lightning on average once or twice a year.
Lightning isn’t the only weather event hitting the East Coast this week. This incident comes in the middle of a very busy Atlantic hurricane season that has affected the weather on the southeast coast in recent weeks.
The Weather Channels warned Tuesday that Hurricane Nigel could become a subtropical depression or storm.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that Hurricane Nigel will eventually reach Category 3, which packs winds of 110 to 120 miles per hour and has the power to damage homes, snap trees and affect electricity and water.
In June, an American Eagle plane full of passengers was struck by lightning shortly after landing during a storm in Arkansas.
Airport staff inspected the plane at Terminal A, but the planes were designed to take the hit and the Delta plane did not appear to be damaged
Former MassPort CEO Tom Kinton (pictured) said: ‘It is not common’ for planes to be affected because ‘air traffic controllers and pilots all take precautions to avoid and go around storms, especially if they are severe in nature’
According to the National Weather Service, commercial passenger planes are struck by lightning on average once or twice a year.
The Embraer E175 was waiting for the storm to pass before heading to the gate when the terrifying flash of electricity detonated the plane yesterday afternoon.
The cameraman, identified in Viral Press as Jason William Hamm, can be heard talking about an earlier lightning bolt that struck moments earlier, saying, “I don’t think this one hit the plane, but it still would have made for a great video.”
Just seconds later, another bright flash hits the tail of the plane, causing the people behind Mr. Hamm to scream with excitement.
Another flight was struck by lightning in Panama during a 2021 storm.
The Boeing 737 MAX plane was flying at approximately 30,000 feet and was scheduled to land at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
Dramatic footage captured from the cockpit shows a powerful bolt of lightning striking the nose of the plane as the pilots navigated a heavy storm.
Earlier in September, Category 5 Hurricane Lee saw more than 200 flights canceled from JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports due to the severe thunderstorms already affecting the East Coast.
