Lightning Strikes Pittsburgh International Airport Runway, Crews Quickly Respond And Repair Damages
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Airfield crews at Pittsburgh International Airport were able to quickly repair one of the runways after it was struck by lightning.
According to Blue Sky News, a routine inspection was scheduled for the afternoon of July 7, but became a severe weather inspection after strong storms made their way across Western Pennsylvania.
After Biedrzycki and a coworker witnessed a "big thick lightning bolt" strike near runway 10L/28R, they were surprised to see the damage caused when they arrived.
A 3-foot by 3-foot hole was seen in the runway that was around 3 inches deep.
"Typically, during a storm you can see the lightning hitting all around," said Airport Operations Duty Manager Trudi Biedrzycki. "We make a point to do an inspection during storms to make sure no damage has occurred."
After discovering the damage, Biedrzycki called the maintenance staff to close the runway. The damaged runway was not being used at the time.
Maintenance crews repaired the damage and the runway was able to be used the following morning.