An aircraft emergency was reported Tuesday (May 19th) morning at the Springfield-Branson National Airport after a United Express flight was reported to have been hit by lightning twice near the Missouri/Arkansas border before returning safely to Springfield.
All passengers and crew members were reported safe and uninjured.
Emergency crews at the airport were alerted about 7:30 a.m. with an aircraft emergency and warned drivers in the area to be prepared to stop.
The aircraft had been in the air about 30 minutes and originally was headed to Houston before returning. Data indicated the aircraft had reached speeds of more than 420 mph and had climbed to nearly 15,000 feet in altitude before the incident.
While not uncommon for commercial aircraft to be hit by lightning, experts say it’s rare for an aircraft to return to the airport because of a lightning strike.
Airport officials say the aircraft will go thru further inspection before it’s allowed to depart.
(Photo courtesy of Springfield-Branson National Airport)
