Bre901
17th Sep 2004, 20:41
Lightning strikes holiday jet (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3666516.stm)
A British plane bound for Manchester airport was forced to make an emergency landing after being hit by lightning.
The My Travel Boeing 757, with 230 passengers on board, was struck 20 minutes after taking off from Naples, southern Italy.
The captain requested permission to head back to Naples, where engineers will inspect the craft for any damage.
No-one on board was hurt during Friday morning's incident, a My Travel spokeswoman said.
The passengers were taken off the plane on return to Italy.
'Bang'
"All modern planes are built to sustain such lightning strikes", the spokeswoman said.
"There was a bang, which must have been unsettling for the passengers, and the plane was returned as a precaution."
It is hoped that the flight will be able to depart later on Friday, once engineers have checked the plane.
Italy has been buffeted by a wave of violent storms since Tuesday, which first hit the central regions before reaching the southern part of the country.
A British plane bound for Manchester airport was forced to make an emergency landing after being hit by lightning.
The My Travel Boeing 757, with 230 passengers on board, was struck 20 minutes after taking off from Naples, southern Italy.
The captain requested permission to head back to Naples, where engineers will inspect the craft for any damage.
No-one on board was hurt during Friday morning's incident, a My Travel spokeswoman said.
The passengers were taken off the plane on return to Italy.
'Bang'
"All modern planes are built to sustain such lightning strikes", the spokeswoman said.
"There was a bang, which must have been unsettling for the passengers, and the plane was returned as a precaution."
It is hoped that the flight will be able to depart later on Friday, once engineers have checked the plane.
Italy has been buffeted by a wave of violent storms since Tuesday, which first hit the central regions before reaching the southern part of the country.