United Airlines and Spirit Airlines planes were struck by lightning and forced to make emergency landings.
Lightning strikes on planes are common but rarely cause significant damage that compromises safety.
Modern aircraft are built to withstand lightning strikes with safety precautions and engineering components.
A United Airlines Boeing 737 and a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo aircraft were struck by lightning on February 8, 2023, according to a report by The Aviation Herald. Both aircraft were forced to execute an emergency landing in response to the incident.
United Airlines lightning incident
The United Airlines Boeing 737-700, registered as N15751, was performing flight UA555 between Jacksonville International Airport (JUX) and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD). The aircraft was on approach to the airport's runway when the 737 sustained a lightning strike. The aircraft landed safely.