Delta Flight headed to Atlanta struck by lightning, makes emergency landing
Feb 19, 2019, 3:34 pm
#1
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Delta Flight headed to Atlanta struck by lightning, makes emergency landing
Just saw this news come across. I know planes are made to handle lightning, but it's always been one of my biggest (illogical) fears when flying.
This plane was an old MD90 from MKE to ATL. Was anyone here on that flight? Or ever been on a plane struck by lightning?
Source: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fli...ding/923002296
Flight aware: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...849Z/KMKE/KATL
This plane was an old MD90 from MKE to ATL. Was anyone here on that flight? Or ever been on a plane struck by lightning?
Source: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fli...ding/923002296
Flight aware: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...849Z/KMKE/KATL
Feb 19, 2019, 4:03 pm
#2
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Feb 1985, Delta L-1011 letting down into LAX ... big flash, big boom; all the cabin lights went out for maybe half a second, then flickered two or three or four times before coming back on ... captain came on the PA a minute or so later and confirmed it was indeed a lightning strike
Feb 19, 2019, 5:57 pm
#3
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Chattanooga resident here who was monitoring ATC. There were thunderstorms in the area at the time. Aircraft landed and became disabled on the runway; I did not catch the details. Airport was closed for a bit while aircraft was cleared off of the runway (towed?). Flight schedule has the aircraft departing for Atlanta at 7AM tomorrow. N931DN is the involved aircraft.
Feb 19, 2019, 6:15 pm
#4
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Looking at the FlightAware routing, it seems kinda silly to have landed in Chatanooga when they did almost as much flying as they could have to get to Atlanta. I get that they need to drop down to the closest safe spot, just funny looking at the map.
Feb 19, 2019, 8:44 pm
#5
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The continuation of DL2050 is departing CHA now to ATL, using a replacement aircraft that was scheduled to overnight at CHA. Stricken MD-90 is still slated to fly to ATL in the morning.
Feb 19, 2019, 8:50 pm
#6
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Many times. Most memorable was FLL-CVG during hurricane Wilma. We were the last departure before the airport closed and got a huge bolt that illuminated the cabin. But we continued to CVG.
Feb 19, 2019, 9:05 pm
#9
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Was on a flight (MKE to ATL coincidently), we had a large bang and flash, lights flickered, we thought it was lightning strike but the captain came on and assured us it was only a static discharge. Either way is was not pleasant. We had previously been diverted to Knoxville to wait out the storm. This happened on our way from Knoxville to Atlanta.
EDIT: Upon reflection, perhaps "static discharge" is to lightning as "rough air" is to turbulence.
EDIT: Upon reflection, perhaps "static discharge" is to lightning as "rough air" is to turbulence.
Feb 19, 2019, 10:18 pm
#12
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Was on a flight (MKE to ATL coincidently), we had a large bang and flash, lights flickered, we thought it was lightning strike but the captain came on and assured us it was only a static discharge. Either way is was not pleasant. We had previously been diverted to Knoxville to wait out the storm. This happened on our way from Knoxville to Atlanta.
EDIT: Upon reflection, perhaps "static discharge" is to lightning as "rough air" is to turbulence.
EDIT: Upon reflection, perhaps "static discharge" is to lightning as "rough air" is to turbulence.
Feb 20, 2019, 12:01 am
#13
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That's funny. I always thought that DL avoided the word turbulence because it has too many syllables and was therefore too "hard." However, i suspect that most people can't be assumed to know what status discharge means, although they do know lightning. [Autocorrect doesn't know the word and tried to make it lightening, but I don't think many passengers would try to bleach their hair on board an aircraft, especially in a storm.]
ADDED: Autocorrect doesn't know static discharge either as it was changed to status discharge....or maybe autocorrect recognizes that everyone on FT is overly concerned about status.
ADDED: Autocorrect doesn't know static discharge either as it was changed to status discharge....or maybe autocorrect recognizes that everyone on FT is overly concerned about status.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Feb 20, 2019 at 6:06 am
Feb 20, 2019, 6:04 am
#14
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From https://www.aeroinside.com/incidents/reg/N931DN:
A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-90, registration N931DN performing flight DL-2050 from Milwaukee,WI to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 164 people on board, was enroute at FL250 about 25nm westnorthwest of Chattanooga,TN (USA) when the aircraft reached a frontal weather system and received a lightning strike. The left hand engine (V2525) began to vibrate prompting the crew to reduce the engine to idle and to divert to Chattanooga for a safe landing on runway 02 about 25 minutes later.
Feb 20, 2019, 6:06 am
#15
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The flying public would be surprised to know how often airplanes get hit by lightening. I’ve been on two such flights. I suspect on the second one, most folks didn’t even realize we’d been struck (first flight they announced it). When I worked in Flight Control, it wasn’t unusual to have a few strikes a week during thunderstorm seasons (of which February traditionally isn’t...). However, I don’t ever recall having a diversion for a strike, perhaps it did additional damage...would be interested to know. Usually striies happen on arrival. Then the airplane goes MX, until they run thru a checklist and then find where the strike went in, and where it went out and make sure there’s no damage to the skin. Usually takes a few hours.