Lightning strike mid-air forces plane to return to Boston. How risky is it?

Delta Flight 112, which was headed to Rome from Boston's Logan Airport, was forced to turn around and return to Boston after the crew reported a lightning strike during departure. The aircraft turned around after it had already been flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

The plane took off from Logan Airport on Sunday evening (August 4). According to a Delta spokesperson, the aircraft returned to Logan international airport “out of an abundance of caution after encountering lightning", as reported by The New York Post.

The Airbus A330 turned around after it had already crossed the Atlantic during what was meant to be a seven-hour flight to an Italian city, according to Flightradar24.

It landed safely at around 7.20 pm, with fire trucks waiting on the tarmac as a precaution, according to WCVB.

NO INJURIES REPORTED

Boston emergency medical services confirmed that no passengers or crew needed medical attention, as reported by The New York Post.

“The flight landed safely and without further incident. We are working to get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible and apologise for the delay in their travel. The safety of our customers and staff remains Delta’s most important priority,” said a Delta Air Lines spokesperson.

The FAA is investigating the incident and noted that commercial aircraft are designed to withstand lightning strikes.

CAN LIGHTNING STRIKE DAMAGE AN AIRCRAFT?

A lightning strike has the potential to penetrate an aircraft's skin and harm communication and electronic navigation systems. There is a possibility that lightning could ignite fuel vapours, leading to an explosion.

Nevertheless, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notes that severe accidents caused by lightning strikes are exceptionally uncommon.

Lightning in close proximity can temporarily impair a pilot's vision, making navigation difficult both by instruments and by sight.

Additionally, nearby lightning strikes can cause permanent inaccuracies in the magnetic compass. Even distant lightning discharges can interfere with radio communications on low and medium frequencies.

A Singapore Airlines flight, a Boeing 777-300ER, experienced severe turbulence in May, resulting in the death of a passenger and injuries to many others. To avoid such accidents, the plane might have been turned back as a precaution.