A Plane Made An Emergency Landing In NYC After Being Struck By Lightning
The Embraer 135, en route from Detroit, was struck as it approached the airport, and landed safely 10:41 a.m, an American Airlines spokesman told Business Insider.
The captain declared an emergency as a precaution, according to officials.
None of the 20 passengers or three crewmembers on board were injured.
While commercial aircraft usually fly above the weather, they are struck by lightning once per year on average, Professor Manu Haddad of Cardiff University's Morgan Botti Laboratory told The Guardian last year.
"It is routine for an aircraft to land as soon as possible after a strike, but this is a precautionary measure," Haddad said. "Lightning is extremely hot – up to 30,000C. The typical damage is a scorch mark where the point of contact was, usually a wing-tip. The plane's electronics are well shielded these days."
An American Airlines maintenance team is inspecting the plane for damage.