Plane possibly hit by lightning diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An American Airlines flight was forced to land at the Pittsburgh International Airport after the plane was possibly hit by a lightning strike.
The flight from Columbus to Boston was diverted to Pittsburgh, landing safely with no issue shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Allegheny County Airport Authority said.
Republic Airways, which operates the flight, said the plane was diverted as a precaution after experiencing a possible lightning strike shortly after leaving John Glenn Columbus International Airport.
The flight landed without incident and taxied to the gate on its own power. Passengers were loaded onto another plane to complete the flight to Boston, a spokesperson for Republic Airways said.
Maintenance took a look at the aircraft to determine if there was any damage.
According to the National Weather Service, commercial transport passenger planes are struck by lightning an average of one to two times a year.
"Actually, aircraft often initiate the strike because their presence enhances the ambient electric fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown through air," the NWS explains on its website.
If a plane is hit by lightning, the NWS says there's a mandatory inspection for damage.