Alaska B737 at Cordova on Jan 27th 2020, lightning strike
Last Update: January 31, 2020 / 20:55:46 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Jan 27, 2020
Classification
Incident
Cause
Lightning strike
Airline
Alaska Airlines
Flight number
AS-66
Departure
Anchorage, United States
Destination
Cordova, United States
Aircraft Registration
N644AS
Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-700
ICAO Type Designator
B737
Passengers reported the aircraft had not yet come out of low cloud when a lightning struck the aircraft's left side with a loud bang, the left hand engine (CFM56) emitted sparks and streaks of flames making the passenger believe the left hand engine had failed. The aircraft banked left, came out of the clouds and landed.
Alaska Airlines reported the aircraft received a lightning strike, the sparks and streaks of flames seen out of the engine were likely static discharge from the left wing. The aircraft was taken out of service for examination and flown to Seattle,WA (USA) for further inspection. No significant damage was found.
The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Cordova for about 24 hours, then positioned to Seattle, remained on the ground in Seattle for 43 hours and returned to service.
Aircraft Registration Data
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Jan 27, 2020
Classification
Incident
Cause
Lightning strike
Airline
Alaska Airlines
Flight number
AS-66
Departure
Anchorage, United States
Destination
Cordova, United States
Aircraft Registration
N644AS
Aircraft Type
Boeing 737-700
ICAO Type Designator
B737
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source
You can read 2 more free articles without a subscription.
Subscribe now and continue reading without any limits!
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Related articles
Alaska B737 near Sitka on Dec 15th 2025, lightning strike
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N644AS performing flight AS-62 from Juneau,AK to Sitka,AK (USA), was descending towards Sitka when…
Alaska B737 at Juneau on Feb 28th 2024, bird strike
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N644AS performing flight AS-61 from Seattle,WA to Juneau,AK (USA), was on approach to Juneau's runway…
Alaska B39M and Fedex B772 at Newark on Mar 17th 2026, cleared to land on crossing runways at same time
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX, registration N738AL performing flight AS-294 from Portland,OR to Newark,NJ (USA) with 175 passengers and 6 crew,…
Alaska B39M near Chicago on Aug 16th 2026, engine shut down in flight
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX, registration N978AK performing flight AS-274 from Cleveland,OH to Seattle,WA (USA), was enroute at FL340 about…
Alaska B738 near Eugene on Jul 23rd 2026, engine shut down in flight
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N563AS performing flight AS-471 from Santa Ana,CA to Seattle,WA (USA) with 161 passengers and 6 crew,…
Alaska B789 enroute on Jul 19th 2026, engine vibrations
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 787-9, registration N780HA performing flight AS-181 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Seattle,WA (USA), was enroute at FL340…
Newest articles
United B789 near Athens on Nov 9th 2026, unusual odour on board
A United Boeing 787-9, registration N24993 performing flight UA-168 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Newark,NJ (USA) with 230 passengers and 13 crew, was…
THY B772 at Maastricht on Nov 7th 2026, bird strike
A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-200 freighter, registration TC-LJL performing freight flight TK-6040 from Maastricht (Netherlands) to Istanbul…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner
ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.
SafetyScan Pro provides streamlined access to thousands of aviation accident reports. Tailored for your safety management efforts. Book your demo today
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways