Lightning strike causes London-Bound United Airlines Boeing 767-300ER to divert to Boston

A United Airlines flight heading to London on New Year's Eve was forced to divert shortly after taking off. The aircraft was reportedly struck by lightning after leaving Newark Airport and was forced to land in Boston.

A little lightning

Passengers bound for London Heathrow Airport (LHR) found themselves in Boston on Tuesday, December 31st. According to flight tracking data from Flightradar24, the aircraft departed Newark Liberty Airport (EWR) precisely on schedule at 21:23 on New Year's Eve.

The journey takes an average of six and a half hours, and the flight was scheduled to land in London at 09:10 the following morning.

Operating United Airlines flight 16 was a Boeing 767-300ER registered as N657UA. The plane proceeded to fly to the northwest over Connecticut and Massachusetts before leveling out at an altitude of 33,000 feet by around 22:00.

Ten minutes later; the plane can be seen banking to the right and turning back right as it reached around halfway between Maine and Nova Scotia.

Flight data shows the plane making a measured descent straight into Boston Logan Airport (BOS), where it touched down at 22:50 Tuesday evening.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) confirmed United Airlines Flight 16 safely diverted to Boston Logan International Airport after the crew reported a lightning strike.

An overnight delay

According to the Boston Globe, emergency services met the aircraft upon landing and found no injuries among the passengers or crew aboard.

The plane was carrying 100 passengers and 10 crewmembers when the incident occurred.

When reached by Simple Flying, an airline spokesperson confirmed the passengers were flown the remained of the way the following day:

"On December 31st, United flight 16 from Newark Liberty International Airport to London diverted to Boston after reports of lightning. The aircraft landed normally and was briefly inspected by emergency crews.

"We provided accommodation overnight for passengers and rebooked them on another flight to London the next day."

United Airlines first ordered the plane in December 1991. It was delivered on March 1st, 1993, and was christened N657UA. Based on data from ch-aviation, it is expected to remain in the carrier's fleet until at least 2027.

The aircraft remained on the ground in Boston overnight and continued its flight to London the following day.

Operating as flight UA 3018, the Boeing 767 departed Boston Logan Airport's Gate B32 at 19:59 on Wednesday, January 1st.

The aircraft proceeded without incident and touched down six hours later at London Heathrow at 07:23 this morning.

The aircraft will wait in London until the regularly scheduled ten o'clock service to Newark Liberty International Airport tomorrow, January 3rd, operating as UA 15.

A few more incidents

That was not the only United Airlines flight to turn back on New Year's Eve. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United Airlines flight 2373 to Kona International Airport (KOA) in Hawaii returned safely to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after the crew reported an engine issue on the Boeing 757-300.

However, United Airlines was not alone in its lightning-related delays on the recent holiday. Earlier on New Year's Eve, a Republic Airways flight operating as American Airlines flight AA4642 from John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH), Ohio, also faced a potential lightning strike.

The Embraer E175 aircraft was headed for Boston when a possible lightning strike occurred. According to the airline, the plane diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) as a precaution, where it landed 48 minutes after its initial departure.

Lightning strikes do not generally cause significant damage, but aircraft operators are still required to conduct an inspection after potential lightning-related incidents occur.

According to the National Weather Service, commercial passenger planes are hit by lightning an average of one or two times a year. Commercial airliners are specifically designed to conduct electricity out through the static wicks on the trailing edge of the wing or tail.