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Contact photographer Erwin van Hassel
What: Austrian Airlines Airbus A320-200 en route from Vienna to Innsbruck
Where: Innsbruck
When: Oct 7th 2011
Who: 57 passengers
Why: The plane was descending over Innsbruck when it was struck by lightning. The crew aborted the approach, and returned to Vienna, where they made a safe landing. The decision was made to return to Vienna because appropriate inspection and repair could not be completed in Insbruck. The return flight was made at a lower altitude of 12,000 feet.
(I can just imagine how the passengers felt after experiencing a lightning strike, and then having to end up going back where they started, instead of landing.)
On arrival in Vienna, passengers were provided alternative bookings.
LATAM Airlines flight JJ-8081 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Brasilia, Brazil, on July 23rd.
Swiss International Air Lines flight LX-1422 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Belgrade, Serbia, on December 24th.