&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Lightning strikes plane in China leaving 20 marks, passenger says he 'felt a huge bolt' hit him")
A major scare occurred at the Shenzhen airport over the weekend when a China Southern Airlines flight was struck by lightning. Inspections showed 20 strike marks on the underbelly of the plane. The Airbus A321 aircraft was taxiing when the incident occurred. News portal The First Scene reported that Flight CZ3209 was set to take off for Wuxi in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on Saturday afternoon when a massive thunderstorm enveloped the region. It was waiting for clearance when "a massive thunderclap erupted directly beside it", according to a passenger.
On Sunday, a person who was on the plane recalled the scary experience. He wrote, “[I think] I was struck by lightning while on a plane. My flight … was taxiing and queuing for take-off when a sudden thunderstorm broke out, with strong winds and heavy rain, causing the plane to shake." He added that he then "felt a huge bolt of lightning strike right next to us. It felt like we were struck by lightning.”
Also Read: Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in China, triggers mass evacuation and flight cancellations
China Southern Airlines staff told the outlet that ground maintenance staff checked the plane and found strike marks on it from the lightning. Nearly 20 marks were found on the underside and elevators, the flight control surfaces on the aircraft’s tail. An airline representative told The First Scene that considering passenger safety and experience, they switched the plane with another aircraft to avoid delays.
Lightning strikes do not damage plane or affect passengers, airline says
Later, maintenance was done on the plane, with the aircraft’s electrical circuits also inspected. The strike marks on the aircraft were also repaired, and the plane returned to service by Sunday. The team also said that the A321’s exterior is made of a conductive aluminium alloy, which pushes the electrical current to flow to the ground. This keeps passengers inside the cabin safe.
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Data from flight tracking app Umetrip showed that the 4.40 pm departure from Shenzhen Baoan International Airport was delayed by four hours. The second aircraft left at 8:40 pm and reached Wuxi at 10:49 pm.
