Latest news with #Flight168
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
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Climate
- Business Insider
A Southwest plane was seemingly struck by lightning during Memorial Day weekend
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.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Plane heading to Denver from Tampa possibly struck by lightning
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)— A plane heading to Denver from Tampa was possibly struck by lightning on Sunday. Video footage from the plane showed the tarmac with numerous emergency vehicles after the plane landed. 'On May 25, Flight 168 from Tampa International Airport to Denver International Airport sustained a possible lightning strike while inbound to DEN and landed safely. Our maintenance teams took the aircraft out of service for inspection. There were no injuries,' a Southwest Airlines spokesperson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
'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 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 - Wet, Stormy Pattern Persists For South - NOAA Predicts More Active Than Average Hurricane Season
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Southwest Airlines plane struck by lightning amid Memorial Day weekend storms
A Southwest Airlines plane flying to Denver on Sunday was struck by lightning upon its descent as storms plagued the area over Memorial Day weekend. Southwest Flight 168 was approaching Denver International Airport on Sunday evening from Tampa when it was hit by a lightning strike, the media team for the airport said in a statement. Emergency crews responded to the plane, which landed and made it to the gate safely, the airport said. No injuries were reported. Southwest said that it was "possible" lightning struck the plane and that the aircraft has been taken out of service so its maintenance teams can inspect it. Video shared with NBC News from someone who was inside the the plane shows emergency vehicles responding to the aircraft once it was on the ground through windows streaked with raindrops. The incident comes amid a stormy Memorial Day weekend in the region. On Sunday, Denver was one of many cities at risk for severe weather. Destructive storms continued into Monday, impacting travelers in the south and central United States. More than 2,700 flights were delayed in the U.S. on Monday and dozens more were canceled, according to Dallas-Fort Worth has been most impacted by these travel woes. Texas has faced days of thunderstorms and gusting winds, and forecasts show the severe weather in the state will continue into Tuesday. Monday also marked the first Memorial Day that U.S. travelers needed a REAL ID or a passport to board their domestic flights. The long-awaited requirement went into effect earlier this month. According to AAA, a record 45.1 Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home during this long weekend's unofficial kickoff to summer, an increase of 1.4 million people from last year. This article was originally published on
