My Wife's Flight This Morning had Lightning Strike & Engine Failure !!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
5,294
Few hours ago, American Eagle (American Airlines) flight # 4719 Evansville IN to Charlotte NC. She says about half hour or so shy of arrival to Charlotte, super loud bang and bright flash shook plane. Lots of turbulence. On the ground they see fire trucks approaching the aircraft, lights on. Flight crew then announces that the loud bang and flash in flight was a lightning strike that caused an engine failure. Other flights have been grounded at Charlotte due to the weather and incoming flights cancelled at departure airports destined for Charlotte. Aircraft was likely a CRJ 200 or variant, as that's what American tends to fly out of Evansville.
 
We've been hammered all morning here in Atlanta with heavy rain and wind. I'm glad that the flight ended safely for your wife. It's going to be a long day for us.
 
Just checking Flightaware it shows it took quite a few turns to move around the storms. Still arrived early though. Was an Embraer ERJ-145.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by FowVay
We've been hammered all morning here in Atlanta with heavy rain and wind. I'm glad that the flight ended safely for your wife. It's going to be a long day for us.


Yep. Just dropped my wife off at Hartsfield. Her outbound flight has been delayed 3 hrs already.
 
Several years ago my wife and I were on an Orlando to Atlanta flight that was hit by lightning. There was a loud noise and a bright light inside the plane which got everyone's attention. Pilot told us there were no problems.
 
Much of the time when a transport category airplane is hit by lightning neither the passengers nor the pilot know it happened. It is later discovered by maintenance during an inspection through burned rivets and tracks. Only the large hits are noticed.
 
I'm an hour North of Charlotte and it's been raining buckets with high winds, lightning, and thunder all day.
 
I just studied a case where a helicopter crashed in flight. Investigation showed the helicopter was struck by lightning while on the ground before the flight. The lightning damaged some powertrain components.
 
Lucky it was the end of the flight and the communications were not fried. Last year there was one in Russia where the plane got struck a few minutes after takeoff and which fried the electronics. No way to tell ground of the problems and a very bumpy landing after returning to the airport. The plane bounced 3 times, I think and then caught fire.
 
50 years ago I toured Jackson airport (small aircraft). They mentioned a backup system where the tower would communicate with aircraft using a blinking light beam.
 
I used to lighting test our equipment, not aircraft. Great fun. Such memories.

Cut our warranties WAY way down. But in the end, if lighting want to win it will.


Rod
 
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
I should've noted in OP that they did land without any drama.


Thank goodness! I'm sure she was frightening when that happened. Kudos to the pilots for landing safely.
 
Good thing she made it drama free.

Oh the beauty of a twin engine aircraft. Lol
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top