Brussels A320 at Tenerife on Dec 7th 2022, lightning strike

Last Update: December 9, 2022 / 20:56:36 GMT/Zulu time

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Photo of Brussels Airlines OO-SNE, Airbus A320 — Brussels Airlines OO-SNE, Airbus A320 (Photo credit: Anna Zvereva / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Dec 7, 2022

Classification
Incident

Cause
Lightning strike

Airline
Brussels Airlines

Flight number
SN-3781

Departure
Brussels, Belgium

Destination
Tenerife South, Spain

Aircraft Registration
OO-SNE

Aircraft Type
Airbus A320

ICAO Type Designator
A320

A Brussels Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OO-SNE performing flight SN-3781 from Brussels (Belgium) to Tenerife South,CI (Spain) with 155 people on board, was descending towards Tenerife when the aircraft received a lightning strike. The crew stopped the descent at FL100 and decided to divert to Las Palmas,CI (Spain) where the aircraft landed without further incident about 30 minutes later.

The airline reported that following the lightning strike a small hole was discovered. Airbus and the airline decided that the aircraft was permitted to do one more flight, the aircraft should return to Brussels with the passengers. This resulted in discussions with the passengers who argued they were just 15 minutes from their destination and should now return to Brussels for a 4.5 hour flight and the next day fly to Tenerife again. Over these discussions the crew timed out, everybody had to get off the aircraft. As the airline has no services in Las Palmas, hotels or onward travel could not be arranged, the passengers were on their own.

The aircraft remained on the ground in Las Palmas for about 17 hours, then positioned back to Brussels. The aircraft is still on the ground in Brussels about 33 hours after landing in Brussels.

Metars Tenerife South:
GCTS 071600Z 24013KT 210V270 9999 -RA BKN009 BKN015 21/20 Q1009 NOSIG=
GCTS 071530Z 24015KT 9999 BKN006 BKN017 21/20 Q1009 NOSIG=
GCTS 071513Z 25015KT 9999 -RA BKN006 BKN015 21/20 Q1010 NOSIG=
GCTS 071500Z 24017KT 210V270 9999 -RA SCT008 BKN015CB 21/20 Q1010 NOSIG=
GCTS 071430Z 23018KT 9000 -RA SCT008 BKN015 OVC025 21/20 Q1010 NOSIG=
GCTS 071400Z 24014KT 210V270 9999 SCT010 BKN015 21/20 Q1010 RERA NOSIG=
GCTS 071343Z 25012KT 220V280 9000 -RA SCT010 BKN020 BKN065 21/20 Q1011 RERA NOSIG=
GCTS 071330Z 26013KT 7000 RA SCT010 BKN020 BKN065 21/20 Q1011 RETSRA NOSIG=
GCTS 071306Z 25013KT 5000 TSRA SCT010 BKN014CB 21/20 Q1011 NOSIG=
GCTS 071300Z 25011KT 5000 +RA SCT010 BKN014 21/20 Q1012 NOSIG=
GCTS 071230Z 26009KT 5000 RA SCT010 BKN014CB 21/19 Q1012 RERA NOSIG=
GCTS 071213Z 23013KT 9999 4500W RA BKN014 BKN020 21/19 Q1012 NOSIG=
GCTS 071200Z 24010KT 200V260 9999 -DZ FEW015CB BKN020 22/19 Q1012 RERA NOSIG=
GCTS 071144Z 24010KT 9999 FEW015CB BKN020 22/19 Q1012 RERA NOSIG=
GCTS 071133Z 24010KT 9999 RA FEW015CB BKN020 22/19 Q1012 NOSIG=
GCTS 071130Z 24010KT 9999 FEW015CB BKN020 22/19 Q1012 NOSIG=
GCTS 071100Z 26011KT 9999 -RA FEW010 FEW015CB BKN020 21/19 Q1013 NOSIG=
GCTS 071030Z 27009KT 240V300 9999 SCT011 BKN015 BKN028 20/19 Q1013 NOSIG=
GCTS 071000Z 25011KT 9000 -DZ SCT013 BKN020 21/19 Q1013 NOSIG=