Lightning-zapped plane flies 3,000 miles with a hole in its nose

Once, while landing at JFK, a United 757 I was in was struck by lightning.

The plane rolled and everyone screamed, but we landed safely. As we came to the gate, the pilot said: "In case anyone wondered, we werestruck by lightning. But please don't worry, the plane only sustained minor damage."

Ah, that's all right then.

I wonder, therefore, what passengers on an Icelandair 757 felt when their flight from Reykjavik to Denver was jolted and bolted soon after it took off Tuesday evening.

It continued on its 3,740-mile journey. When the passengers got off, they realized an interesting thing. The plane had a rather prominent hole in its nose. As 9 News in Denver reports, the plane just kept on going, so some passengers wondered just how safe the flight had been.

The aviation expert for 9 News, Greg Feith, said that the flight should have turned around. He said that the pilots risked structural failure around the nose of the plane.

On the other hand, aviation professor Jeff Price told the Denver Post that planes are quite able to withstand such strikes.

I have contacted Icelandair to ask why the pilots chose not to turn around and whether the plane was flown recklessly. I will update, should I hear.

Source: denverpost.com