Delta plane turns around over Atlantic following lightning strike

A Delta Airlines plane traveling from Boston to Rome was forced to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean after its crew reported a lightning strike, the Federal Aviation Administration says. 

The aircraft – an Airbus A330 – was flying in an area east of Cape Cod when it switched course Sunday night, according to flight-tracking data from the website FlightAware. 

"Delta Air Lines Flight 112 returned to and landed safely at Boston Logan International Airport around 7:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, August 4, after the crew reported a lightning strike following departure," the FAA told FOX Business in a statement. "The FAA will investigate." 

The FAA added that its regulations "require that commercial aircraft be designed to withstand lightning strikes." 

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A Delta Air Lines spokesperson told FOX Business that the flight "returned to BOS out of an abundance of caution after encountering lightning."  

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"The flight landed safely and without further incident," the spokesperson said. "We are working to get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible, and we apologize for the delay in their travel. The safety of our customers and people remains Delta’s most important priority." 

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The lightning strike follows one that happened in April this year involving a Delta plane that was traveling from New York City to Atlanta.