A transatlantic United Airlines flight turned around after being struck by lightning on New Year's Eve
Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images
- A transatlantic United Airlines flight turned around on New Year's Eve.
- The plane's crew reported a lightning strike, the FAA said.
- Passengers were booked into overnight accommodation in Boston, a United spokesperson said.
United Airlines passengers unexpectedly celebrated the New Year in Boston after their transatlantic flight turned around.
Data from Flightradar24 shows the Boeing 767 was about an hour into its journey from Newark, New Jersey to London when it made a U-turn off the coast of Maine.
Flight UA16's crew had reported a lightning strike, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
The passengers were initially set to welcome in 2025 in the air, with the flight scheduled to land in London about 9 a.m. local time.
However, the plane "safely diverted" to Boston shortly before 11 p.m. ET, the FAA said.
A United Airlines spokesperson told Simple Flying the Boeing 767 was inspected by emergency crews upon landing. The Boston Globe reported that there were no injuries.
"We provided accommodation overnight for passengers and rebooked them on another flight to London the next day," the spokesperson said.
United did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The same aircraft departed Boston about 7 p.m. ET on New Year's Day — landing in London 22 hours later than originally scheduled, per data from Flightradar24.
The FAA said it will investigate the incident.
The National Weather Service says airliners are struck by lightning about once or twice a year on average.
It also says jets avoid thunderstorms as much as possible. They can trigger strikes because their presence enhances the electric fields found in storms.
Commercial jets are designed with several protections to mitigate the impact of a lightning, such as a metal mesh that conducts electricity away from passengers and internal electronics.
BI previously reported on other planes struck by lightning, including a Delta Air Lines flight that declared an emergency, and an Air Canada Boeing 777 filmed after takeoff. Both continued to their destinations before being inspected.