What Happens When Lightning Strikes an Airplane?
Thunderstorms are scary not just to passengers but to pilots as well. They usually steer clear of storms by using an onboard weather radar but sometimes, planes do get hit by lightning. While this may sound scary, it actually happens more often than you think and the good news is that standard commercial airplanes are designed to withstand lightning strikes.
Planes that are hit by lightning have to undergo an inspection once they land for safety reasons but usually, the aircraft is unharmed or only shows minor damage. Some pilots have reported the temporary flickering of lights or mild interference with the instruments but that’s all.