On Sunday, a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Rome, Italy, from Boston, Massachusetts, was struck by lightning while in flight, according to statements from the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The flight was redirected back to Boston Logan International Airport “out of an abundance of caution” after the crew reported the lightning strike shortly after departure, as per Delta and the FAA.
The aircraft, an Airbus A330, safely landed back in Boston at 7:20 p.m. ET without further incident, the airline reported.
Donna Pilat, a passenger from Nashua, New Hampshire, shared her experience with ABC News, mentioning she heard “a small pop” during the flight.
“It was a very rough landing back in Boston with fire trucks waiting,” she recounted. “We could smell burning rubber from the wheels. They had to tow the plane to a hangar, which is why we didn’t get our luggage for hours. It was a long night but could have been worse.”
Delta apologized to travelers for the delay and stated they are “working to get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible.”
The FAA announced it would investigate the incident and noted that regulations mandate commercial aircraft be designed to withstand lightning strikes.
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Pilat mentioned the delay caused her to miss a tour of the Vatican and expressed hope of making it to her Mediterranean cruise starting on Wednesday.
“I sure hope lightning doesn’t strike twice!” she remarked.
