Latest news with #AviationHerald
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
A Southwest plane was seemingly struck by lightning during Memorial Day weekend
A Southwest Airlines crew reported that their plane was struck by lightning on Memorial Day Weekend. The Aviation Herald reported that air traffic control was unable to hear the pilots as a result. The plane was taken out of service for inspection, the airline said. A Southwest Airlines plane was seemingly struck by lightning while on approach to landing. Flight 168, from Tampa, Florida, to Denver, took off around 7 p.m. local time on Sunday — about two and a half hours behind schedule, per data from Flightradar24. The journey, during the busy Memorial Day travel period, appeared to be going smoothly until it was about to land. In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said the flight crew reported a lightning strike. A Southwest spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that there was "a possible lightning strike" on the aircraft. "Our maintenance teams took the aircraft out of service for inspection. There were no injuries," the spokesperson added. The Aviation Herald reported that air traffic control could no longer hear the pilots after the strike. However, it added that controllers were able to transmit instructions to them, and the 737 landed safely in Denver 12 minutes later. Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist at told the outlet that the airport reported lightning in the hour before the flight landed. "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," he added. The National Weather Service says airliners are struck by lightning about once or twice a year on average. Jets avoid thunderstorms as much as possible because aircraft can trigger strikes because their presence enhances the electric fields found in storms. Commercial planes are designed with several parts to help mitigate the impact of lightning, such as a metal mesh that conducts electricity away from passengers and internal electronics. Last New Year's Eve, a United Airlines plane from Newark to London turned around and diverted to Boston after the crew reported a lightning strike. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lufthansa 747 makes emergency landing as captain faints shortly after Miami takeoff
A Lufthansa Boeing 747 was forced to make an emergency landing after its captain fainted shortly after takeoff from Miami. Flight LH463, bound for Frankfurt, was diverted to Montreal when the pilot lost consciousness while flying over the eastern US coast, according to Aviation Herald. The co-pilot took control of the aircraft while two flight attendants rushed to provide first aid to the captain in the crew lounge. Facing deteriorating weather conditions and down one pilot, the crew decided to divert the plane over Nova Scotia at 30,000 feet. The aircraft landed safely in Montreal, about 1,500 miles from its intended destination. The cause of the pilot's collapse remains unclear, and no updates have been provided on his condition. A Lufthansa spokesperson said: "The flight landed there normally and safely, and the colleague received medical care. Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience caused to the passengers. The safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority at all times." Similar incidents have occurred in recent years. In 2019, a Jet2 captain fainted on a Manchester to Madeira flight, forcing an emergency landing in Porto. That same year, a student pilot had to make an emergency landing after his instructor lost consciousness during a training flight. More recently, a Turkish Airlines pilot died mid-flight while operating an Airbus 350 between Seattle and Istanbul in 2024. The 59-year-old veteran had worked for the airline since 2007 and had passed his medical examination in March.
