Overview
- A bolt of lightning hit the left wing of a Viva Airlines flight en route from Puerto Escondido to Mexico City in footage that shows a brief orange glow, smoke and startled passengers.
- Viva Airlines confirmed the strike and said the aircraft was never in danger and reached its destination without problems.
- Passengers on the flight reacted with fear and screaming in the video circulated by media outlets, which prompted the airline to issue its statement.
- The incident occurred during Oaxaca’s rainy season, a period with higher thunderstorm activity along the coastal flight path.
- Aviation safety experts and regulators say commercial airliners are engineered to conduct lightning currents and that strikes rarely cause structural failure, though affected aircraft are routinely inspected after an event.