AA pilot declares emergency after lightning strikes London-to-Charlotte flight
A lightning strike prompted the pilot of a Charlotte-bound American Airlines flight to declare a “general emergency” and make a sharp turn back to its originating airport in London, England, on Wednesday, a London newspaper reported.
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Lightning hit the 777-300ER plane over Manchester, England, a half-hour after its 3:05 p.m. departure, according to The Standard.
Video on social media by Flight Focus 365, an airport live-streaming site, shows the plane safely landing at Heathrow.
American Airlines did not immediately reply to questions from The Charlotte Observer on Saturday, including whether the plane sustained damage and the time and date passengers were put on another flight.
According to the National Weather Service, lightning hits commercial passenger planes an average of one or two times a year.
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“They are designed and built to have conducting paths through the plane to take the lightning strike and conduct the currents,” according to the NWS.
Planes “often initiate the strike because their presence enhances the ambient electric fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown through air,” the NWS says in a “Lightning and Planes” bulletin.
An inspection for damage is required after a strike, according to the NWS, which said the last lightning-caused crash of a commercial airliner occurred “many decades ago.”
WATCH: American Airlines B777-300ER flight AA735 from London Heathrow to Charlotte returned to LHR after squawking emergency code 7700 about an hour into the flight.
: FlightFocus365 pic.twitter.com/5wuxAjhN0L
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
