Lightning strikes plane flying from London to Charlotte, pilot makes emergency landing

A plane slated to fly from London to Charlotte, North Carolina, had to double back and make an emergency landing after being struck by lightning.

American Airlines Flight 735 took off from London Heathrow Airport just before 3:30 p.m. local time Wednesday, headed for Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The plane made a U-turn for London Heathrow while still flying over the U.K., landing back at its airport of origin just over an hour after taking off, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. 

While mid-flight, the plane was struck by lightning, leading the pilots to send out a “code 7700” message, the universal transponder code indicating a general emergency, according to the London Evening Standard.

Fire and rescue personnel met the plane and inspected it on the runway, and the plane was grounded, according to the London Evening Standard. American Airlines has not yet publicly commented on how much damage, if any, the plane sustained.

“When it is suspected that a plane was hit by lightning, there is a mandatory inspection for damage, which can delay flights and be quite expensive,” the National Weather Service says on its website.

In addition to aborting mid-flight Wednesday, Flight 735 was also cancelled on Thursday, according to FlightAware, before successfully completing the nearly nine-hour transatlantic trek on Friday.