Registration was on Friday (24 January) during a storm in São Paulo; there was no damage to the aircraft
Lightning struck a plane during a storm on Friday (24 January 2024) in . Records on social media show that the aircraft received an electrical discharge in the tail.
The airport said there was no damage “significant” to the plane. According to the concessionaire, the airline’s maintenance team carried out preventive inspections after the incident. Read the note at the end of the report.
A video of the episode is circulating on social media. The record shows that there was a person on the road near the place where the lightning struck.
Watch (11s):
At the airport in São Paulo, Brazil, a passenger managed to record the exact moment lightning struck his plane while he was waiting to board. The video was shared by the user.
— Centinela35 (@Centinela_35)
“The incident occurred due to the height of the aircraft’s empennage, which can increase the probability of incidence during electrical storms. However, events like this are rare, and modern aircraft are designed to safely withstand electrical discharges.”said the note.
In total, the storms in São Paulo had the following effects at Guarulhos Airport:
- changed flights from Guarulhos – 24;
- canceled – 15 landings and 18 takeoffs.
The rains are expected to continue in the city of São Paulo until the end of January, with risks of flooding and storms, says MetSul Meteorologia.
The metropolis faced a strong storm that caused power outages for more than 27,000 people, in addition to flooding. Civil Defense issued a severe warning to residents for the first time.
Read the note from Guarulhos Airport:
“GRU Airport, the concessionaire responsible for the administration of São Paulo International Airport, in Guarulhos, informs that, on the afternoon of this Friday, January 24th, due to heavy rain and winds in the region, the British Airbus A350-1000 Airways was struck by lightning while parked on the apron. The incident did not result in significant damage to the aircraft. The airline’s maintenance team was promptly called in and began preventive inspections.”
“São Paulo International Airport adopts strict safety and lightning protection protocols, such as transmitting warnings about adverse weather conditions through operational telephones, moving aircraft stairs away, using chocks to avoid unwanted movements, interrupting supplying aircraft during storms, in addition to grounding points at aircraft positions and electrical discharge protection systems (SPDA).”
“The incident occurred due to the height of the aircraft’s empennage, which can increase the probability of incidence during electrical storms. However, events like this are rare, and modern aircraft are designed to safely withstand electrical discharges.”
“Due to adverse weather conditions, 24 flights were alternated from GRU to other airports, 22 of which returned to the airport while 15 landings and 18 takeoffs were canceled due to difficulties caused by the weather conditions. The rain and strong winds impacted the arrival of crew, which affected the start of operations for some airlines.”
“GRU Airport reinforces its commitment to safety and operational efficiency, working to minimize the impact of weather conditions and guarantee the integrity of passengers, crew and employees.”
