Summary
- A lightning strike forced an American Airlines flight to return shortly after takeoff in Buenos Aires.
- The aircraft needed to dump fuel before landing and returned to the airport after about half an hour.
- Lightning strikes occur mostly during takeoff or landing, but modern planes are built to face up to them.
An American Airlines aircraft flying from Argentina to the US needed to return to the airport shortly after takeoff following a lightning strike. While modern jetliners are inbuilt a way that protects them from lightning strikes, there could be cases during which aircraft can sustain structural damage and want further inspection.
Flight returns to airport
An American Airlines flight from Buenos Aires in Argentina to Miami, Florida, needed to return to the airport shortly after takeoff after it was struck by lightning. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, had taken off just about on schedule at 23:34 from Ministro Pistarini International Airport but was forced to show around shortly into the flight.
Photo: Lukas Wunderlich | Shutterstock
In June 2023, an Air Latest Zealand Airbus A321neo from Auckland to the Cooks Island was struck by lightning shortly after takeoff. It remained within the skies for under two hours, burning off excess fuel before landing safely in Auckland.
In February, an American Airlines Boeing 787-9 suffered structural damage following a lightning strike. The aircraft was performing a flight from Tokyo Narita to Dallas/Fort Price International Airport. Photos of the plane (below) showed significant damage to a portion of the fuselage, requiring repairs before it could possibly be deemed airworthy again.
Lightning strikes
As is clear by the incidents above, most lightning strikes happen during takeoff or landing at altitudes between 5,000 and 15,000 feet. Many planes all over the world are struck by lightning every single day; thankfully, they’re inbuilt a method to withstand them.
Photo: Nieuwland Photography | Shutterstock
Modern airliners are equipped with various features to mitigate the consequences of a lightning strike, reminiscent of static wicks, that are metal rods protruding of the trailing fringe of the wing that dissipate static charge attributable to lightning. Those that want to learn more about what happens when an aircraft is struck by lightning can try the next article.
What Happens When A Plane Is Hit By Lightning?
When lightning does strike an aircraft, it is usually not a cause for concern.
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