A SriLankan Airlines flight flying from Colombo to Sydney had to return to Bandaranaike International Airport on June 12 after being struck by lightning during take-off.
The plane struck by lightning/PHOTO: X @aviationbrk
The Airbus A330-243 aircraft, writes the Sri Lankan publication Morning Telegraph, was carrying 207 passengers and 16 crew members when the pilots noticed indications suggesting a possible lightning strike in adverse weather conditions.
The crew noticed problems with one of the engines after a possible lightning strike and decided to abort the flight to Sydney, returning the aircraft to the Sri Lankan city of Colombo as a precaution.
Passengers reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing what appeared to be flames from the left engine, but the plane landed safely. No one was injured.
The airline has opened an investigation to determine whether the aircraft was struck by lightning and to analyze the reported engine problems, the crew's reaction and the technical condition of the plane.
Also this week, a plane flying from London to the United States was forced to turn back on Wednesday, June 10, after the aircraft was allegedly struck by lightning.
The Standard reports that American Airlines flight AA735, bound for North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas International Airport, returned to London at Heathrow Airport just 30 minutes after takeoff.
The plane took off as scheduled at 3.05pm, but the crew broadcast emergency code 7700 – the universal code used by pilots to signal an emergency – as it flew over airspace near Manchester at around 3.35pm.
The aircraft immediately made a turn and returned to London, receiving priority landing from air traffic controllers.
The plane landed safely at Heathrow at 4.35pm, where it was inspected on the runway by airport response teams and firefighters.
The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, cannot return to service until mandatory checks are completed after a possible lightning strike, which could affect other company flights.
