On Tuesday morning, a Delta flight from New York City to Atlanta declared a mid-air emergency after a suspected lightning strike. The plane, Delta flight 1192, landed safely in Atlanta with no reported injuries due to the lightning strike. Despite this incident, the flight also encountered an unrelated medical issue with a passenger mid-flight.
Commercial passenger planes are hit by lightning once or twice a year on average, according to the National Weather Service. The aircraft is designed to withstand such strikes, with special conducting paths designed to safely conduct the lightning currents through the aircraft in case of a weather anomaly. The National Weather Service reassures that lighting has not caused a commercial transport airplane crash in many decades, emphasizing the safety measures in place to protect against such incidents.
After landing safely in Atlanta, the plane was inspected by ground crews due to the declaration of an emergency post-landing. Despite two emergencies on board, passengers were reassured that their safety was paramount and that they were not at risk of any harm.
