United Airlines Flight Struck By Lightning, Diverted To Rockford

ROCKFORD, Illinois — A Chicago-bound United Airlines flight carrying 50 passengers from Madison, Wisconsin, has been struck by lightning and diverted to Rockford, Illinois.

Express Jet Airlines spokesman Jarek Beem says United Express Flight 5822 landed safely at Rockford International Airport at about 10:36 a.m. Wednesday after being diverted from O'Hare International Airport.

Beem says the plane had a cracked windshield, but it was unclear whether it was caused by the lightning strike.

No injuries were reported.

Passenger Nancy McCartan tells WREX-TV that she heard a "very loud crash noise and a flash." She said a flight attendant told passengers the aircraft had been struck by lightning, and the pilot reassured them that everything was OK.

Passengers were bused to O'Hare once the Embraer E145 landed.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Comments

[dbrett480]

12:54 PM on 07/09/2011

Not much of a news story. Many airplanes get struck by lightning and nothing happens.

[FunctionOfTheCrisp]

08:52 AM on 06/09/2011

Well, so much for the idea that "portable electronic equipment" used by passengers is potentially disruptive.

[KevinFletcherTweedy]

08:13 AM on 06/09/2011

Very misleading that the photo shows a 737 when the story relates to an Embraer E145 (a Brazilian prop plane if I recall correctly). Short-cuts in the editing department, HuffPo?

[hungrypilot]

09:07 AM on 06/09/2011

The E-120 is the plane you're thinking of, an E-145 is the regional jet that this happened to... still, fail editing.

[jmsent]

07:48 AM on 06/09/2011

Love the part about the "cracked windshield". Who knows how long they've been flying around with that.

[AMlegion]

01:33 PM on 06/09/2011

They should have had its crack filled when it happend.

[NC2]

06:18 AM on 06/09/2011

Must have been W's fault. (BTW, the photo is of the wrong airplane). Maybe reporting accuracy is no longer important.

[VOTER]

12:07 PM on 06/09/2011

"Maybe reporting accuracy is no longer important."

True, which is why GW and Cheney are not in Prison.

[Jack Daniels Esq]

05:43 AM on 06/09/2011

The French tried to pin lightning on the wrecked A330 flight #447 - it was a stall

[PatrickforO]

01:36 AM on 06/09/2011

It is difficult to imagine a more hellish air-travel scenario - to have your plane struck by lightening and then suffer the indignity of being bussed to O'Hare. Yuck. Their luggage probably went on the Vermont or Maine or somewhere else.

[nuclearmonkeys]

12:48 AM on 06/09/2011

Planes get struck by lightning all the time. I have experienced it personally in fact.

[bardgal]

01:12 AM on 06/09/2011

As have I. Apparently they're designed to withstand it, because as you said, it happens all the time.

Thankfully I had spent some time in the Virgin Upper lounge at LHR right before it happened and it was a cool experience. If I had been totally sober, my head would likely have exploded.

[jlm11579]

06:20 AM on 06/09/2011

Like your answer! Very funny.

[whyus]

12:44 AM on 06/09/2011

Frightening. I've been meaning to say something about Delta airlines, but can't on the travel section due to AOL controlling it now. I always heard bad things about the airline, but our round trip from Portland to Amsterdam on Delta was terrific. They were very friendly, served good food, let us wander around, we had individual entertainment set ups, free snacks, beer and wine. Maybe because it was international, or because KLM was the overseer, I don't know. But I'll go again on it.

[yourusernamehere]

12:35 AM on 06/09/2011

BREAKING NEWS: The Sun came up this morning.

[SURFER DUDE]

11:58 PM on 06/08/2011

HP.....that is a generic picture of a United A319/320. Not an Embraer E145 which was the aircraft in question. Besides, is this even news?

[ufopp]

09:05 PM on 06/08/2011

That begs the question: did they get the same peanuts on the bus?

[sockocat]

10:06 AM on 06/10/2011

I was on that flight, and no, there were no peanuts. Given the circumstances, United did an very good job of getting a charter bus and had us on our way from Rockford in 30-45 minutes, and at O'Hare about 2 hours after our scheduled flight arrival time. Most of the travelers missed their connecting flights, but I guess it could have been worse. I did see the windshield, and can only imagine what the pilot's reaction (and laundry bill) was.

[Yehoshua]

07:59 PM on 06/08/2011

The meaning is about Obama, as its grammar is paralleled to Peres' flight also being struck by lightening departing Italy last week; though Obama was NOT on board, and Peres WAS it's meaning is the same as with Peres; as it's is a sign of things to come. Blessings, yy

[BushBites]

08:24 PM on 06/08/2011

Um....OK...........

[Lisa Thalmann]

08:38 PM on 06/08/2011

huh?