Lightning Appears to Strike 2 Planes Flying Into Sea-Tac Airport
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Owen Craft(SEATTLE) — Two planes apparently flying into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport appeared to have been struck by lightning in a video caught by a University of Washington student.
Graphic design student Owen Craft went out into the lightning storm Wednesday night hoping to catch great film when he saw the sky light up as a plane was flying overhead, he told ABC News Thursday.
“It was crazy,” Craft recalled. “I’d been outside for about 15 minutes, and I hadn’t seen anything, but I thought something could happen. And then suddenly, right as a plane went overhead, it got struck.”
Just as Craft was about to pack up and leave, another plane came overhead — and the same thing happened, he said.
“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Craft said.
It is unclear what airline the planes belonged to.
Although the thought of lightning striking a plane may sound dangerous, it’s actually a common occurrence and jets are built to protect crew and passengers when they’re struck.
“Airplanes themselves are prepared for this kind of stuff and have the mechanics to manage lightning strikes,” Sea-Tac Airport public relations manager Perry Cooper told ABC News. “We did not receive any reports of precautionary landing alerts from any pilots Wednesday night either.”
Cooper added that they only receive landing alerts from planes within five miles of the airport, and if the plane was further out, the Federal Aviation Administration would receive any emergency notifications.
The FAA did not immediately respond to ABC News’ call and email requesting comment.
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