'Possible Lightning Strike' Hits Southwest Airlines Plane During Memorial Day Weekend Storms
A Southwest Airlines plane heading into Denver from Tampa was likely hit by lightning as it descended during storms on Sunday evening. In a statement the airline said Flight 168 'sustained a possible lightning strike' but landed safely at Denver International Airport and no injuries were reported.
Emergency crews at the airport responded to the plane following protocol, according to local reports. Maintenance teams also took the aircraft out of service for inspection, the airline said.
A passenger on the flight told KUSA that a loud bang was heard throughout the plane's cabin as they experienced rough turbulence about 20 minutes before landing.
(MORE: Could We See The First Tropical Storm Of 2025 This Week?)
Denver International Airport reported both in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning in several observations from just over an hour before landing, to just before the flight landed, according to weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman. He added that radar showed thundershowers extended from near DIA into the plains east of the airport and 'This is a challenge flying into and out of Denver this time of year, as afternoon and evening thunderstorms can be almost a daily occurrence.'
Commercial passenger planes are designed to withstand lightning and the National Weather Service says planes are hit by lightning an 'average of one to two times a year.'
Storms across parts of the south and central United States caused travel delays during the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, with hundreds of delays reported at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and in Denver on Sunday and Monday as travelers made their way back home.
MORE ON WEATHER.COM
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