Lightning strike forces emergency landing for SriLankan Airlines plane

A SriLankan Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday, June 12, after a lightning strike hit one of its engines shortly after takeoff. The incident involved flight UL606, which had just departed from Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, with Sydney, Australia, as its destination.

The captain of the Airbus immediately diverted the aircraft back to Katunayake to ensure the safety of the 223 people on board following the electrical discharge. Sri Lankan news outlets, including NewsWire and Daily Mirror, reported that the airline confirmed the aircraft landed without further complications. All 207 passengers and 16 crew members evacuated the plane safely and without injuries.

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the company confirmed the descent of the aircraft without major setbacks on the runway of origin.

Social media users shared videos showing sparks emitting from the affected engine shortly after the lightning strike. Photographs taken after the landing revealed a hole in the turbine's outer casing. However, a spokesperson for SriLankan Airlines initially stated that the incident did not cause severe damage to the aircraft's main systems. The airline activated its contingency plan, rebooking all passengers onto a replacement aircraft to continue their journey to Australia. The process, including aircraft substitution and safety inspections, caused a delay of over five hours before the affected plane was moved to maintenance for a thorough inspection of the lightning-damaged turbine.

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the incident did not cause serious damage to the main systems.