A North Carolina-bound flight was forced into a U-turn just 30 minutes into its journey after multiple lightning bolts struck the plane in UK airspace, according to a report.
American Airlines flight AA735 was flying over Manchester, England on Wednesday when the plane was hit and pilots decided to reverse course, reports the London Evening Standard.
Air traffic control received the pilot’s squawk 7700, a general emergency code, around 3:30 p.m. and the plane was cleared for a priority return to London.
The flight landed at London Heathrow around 4:35 p.m. and crews inspected the aircraft on the runway.
A large majority of large passenger aircraft can withstand lightning, however, the planes must undergo “expensive” damage inspections when they are struck, so airlines “avoid thunderstorms as much as possible,” explains the National Weather Service.
There hasn’t been a lightning-caused commercial airline crash in decades, however, small and experimental aircraft are more vulnerable, according to the NWS.
The plane, a 777-300ER passenger jet, will undergo inspections from the FAA and the UK Civil Aviation Authority before it is permitted to fly again, the Standard reports.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
