Spirit Airlines flight makes emergency landing after 'double lightning strikes'

A Spirit Airlines flight heading to Cancun turned back and made an emergency landing shortly after take-off from Philadelphia on Friday morning (local time), after the crew reported that the aircraft was struck by lightning twice, according to the Federal Aviation Association.

Spirit said the Airbus A321, en route to Cancun, turned back to Philadelphia International Airport "out of an abundance of caution after the crew reported a suspected lightning strike".

"The aircraft landed safely, and we are currently working to re-accommodate our guests," Spirit said in a statement to CNN.

The airline did not say how many passengers were on board. The FAA is investigating the emergency landing.

LiveATC air traffic control recordings captured the exchange between the flight crew and Philadelphia air traffic controllers. "We were struck by lightning twice," said the crew, adding, "We're gonna have to come back to the airfield."

The FAA said the incident happened at 11 am local time Friday and the agency will investigate.

The incident is the latest impact from a storm that caused more than 4,000 flight cancellations nationwide on Friday, according to FlightAware data.

More than 4,100 US flights were cancelled amid a raging winter storm.

Planes are designed with conducting paths to keep the lightning strike on the exterior of the aircraft. In fact, they typically initiate lightning strikes as they fly through "ambient electric fields" during thunderstorms.

If a plane is hit by lightning, passengers will often hear a loud noise and see a flash.

Airlines have issued travel waivers for many parts of the US, allowing passengers to rebook without penalty for a short window, reported CNN.

( With inputs from ANI )