Lightning hits China Southern Airbus A321 while taxiing, 20 strike marks found
The plane was grounded for inspection at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, delaying passengers by four hours
A China Southern Airlines flight was forced to abandon its departure and return to the gate at Shenzhen airport over the weekend after the Airbus A321 aircraft was struck by lightning while taxiing.
Flight CZ3209, bound for the city of Wuxi in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, was waiting on the ground during a heavy thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon when the incident occurred, according to a report by The First Scene, a news portal under Shenzhen Media Group.
The incident came to light on Sunday when a passenger took to social media to share their experience. According to the traveller, as the plane was moving, a massive thunderclap erupted directly beside it. No passenger or crew injuries were reported.
“[I think] I was struck by lightning while on a plane. My flight … was taxiing and queuing for take-off when a sudden thunderstorm broke out, with strong winds and heavy rain, causing the plane to shake. Then I felt a huge bolt of lightning strike right next to us. It felt like we were struck by lightning,” the passenger said in the social media post.