On Sunday, Hawaiian Airlines Flight 5 from Las Vegas to Honolulu departed normally, albeit 90 minutes late for unknown reasons. But that wasn’t even the beginning of the flight’s problems. Following a reported lightning strike, the A330-200 widebody jetliner diverted back to Las Vegas, landing there in a hurry, just 21 minutes later. That according to flight tracking website Flightaware.
Hawaiian Air confirmed the incident to local Las Vegas news media, saying that their flight was struck by lightning. There were 289 passengers and crew onboard the trans-Pacific flight.
Flight 5 resumed following mandatory aircraft inspection. Guests were provided meals and accommodations during the delay and appear to have continued their journeys on a number of other Hawaiian Airlines’ flights on Monday and Tuesday.
Other factors in Monday’s Hawaiian Airlines lightning strike diversion.
The strike occurred very soon after take-off, which is the most likely time during a flight for such an event to occur. These also generally happen when the plane is flying in clouds, which we could not confirm was the situation on this flight.
How often does lightning hit Hawaii flights?
It is very rare. NOAA says that, in general, “Commercial transport passenger planes are hit by lightning an average of one or two times a year.”
They are designed and built to have conducting paths through the plane to take the lightning strike and conduct the currents. Actually, aircraft often initiate the strike because their presence enhances the ambient electric fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown through air.
Lightning strikes result in mandatory inspection process.
When it is believed that a plane has been hit by lightning, a mandatory inspection for damage is required, which is expensive and frustrating, as passengers on this flight and Hawaiian Airlines can attest to.
NOAA confirmed that “There has not been a lightning-caused commercial transport airplane crash in many decades.”
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