A Delta Airlines flight to Italy turned around over the Atlantic and flew back to Boston on Sunday, landing safely at Logan Airport after a “lightning encounter” forced its return, the airline acknowledged.
The carrier did not supply details of the issue that sparked an emergency, saying only that the flight to Rome had turned around “out of an abundance of caution after encountering lightning,” that there had been no injuries onboard, and that a maintenance team was going to “determine the full extent of the lightning encounter,” a Delta spokesperson told WFXT-TV.
“Delta flight 112 operating from Boston to Rome returned to Boston out of an abundance of caution after encountering lightning,” Delta said in a statement obtained by WCVB-TV. “The flight landed safely and without further incident.”
The Airbus A330 landed at 7:20 p.m. back at Logan, instead of continuing on to Rome, its intended destination.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate, since commercial aircraft are supposed to be designed to withstand lightning strikes, WBTS-TV reported.
Delta told passengers they could rebook at no cost.
“Due to a mechanical issue with the aircraft, we have canceled this flight,” the airline said on its flight status for 112. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”
