A Delta plane flying across the Atlantic was forced to quickly turn around and head back to Boston after a lightning strike Sunday, the airline and the FAA said.
Delta Flight 112 was en route to Rome from Logan International Airport Sunday night when the flight crew reported a lightning strike after takeoff, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The plane turned around after it had already crossed the Atlantic Ocean during what was supposed to be a roughly seven-hour flight to the Italian city, according to Flightradar24.
The plane returned to Logan Airport “out of an abundance of caution after encountering lighting,” a Delta spokesperson said in an email.
When the Airbus A330 landed around 19:20, fire engines could be seen around the plane on the tarmac, WCVB reported.
Boston EMS said no passengers or crew required medical attention, the station reported.
“The flight landed safely and without further incident,” a Delta spokesperson said.
“We are working to get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible and we apologize for the delay in their journey. The safety of our customers and people remains Delta’s top priority.”
The FAA said it is investigating the incident, although it stressed that the federal agency’s “regulations require commercial aircraft to be designed to withstand lightning strikes.”