ORLANDO, Fla. — A flight from Baltimore to San Juan was diverted to Orlando International Airport and landed safely Monday after it was struck by lightning, the FAA told Spectrum News 13.
- Southwest flight from Baltimore to San Juan struck by lightning
- Lightning strike happened soon after takeoff from Baltimore
- Orange County, Orlando fire crews called to OIA before noon
The crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 2133 reported the lightning strike shortly after taking off from Baltimore and decided to divert to Orlando, according to Kathleen Bergen, manager of communications for the Federal Aviation Administration, in an email.
"The lightning strike did not occur near Orlando," she said.
The Orlando Fire Department and Orange County Fire Rescue were called to OIA before noon for an aircraft emergency. The location of the emergency was listed as an address on Heintzelman Boulevard, a road south of the airport.
Chris Mainz, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, said Flight 2133 was "safely diverted to Orlando out of an abundance of caution as the aircraft was struck by lightning."
No one was hurt. The jet had 168 customers and six crew members on board.
The plane landed safely at 11:25 a.m.
"We have removed the aircraft from service for inspection and we will operate the remainder of the flight with another aircraft with a minimal delay," Mainz said.
We called the Orlando Fire Department, Orange County Fire Rescue, and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority for comment, but the calls were not immediately returned.