READ MORE: Revealed: What really happens when a plane gets struck by lightning See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ERIN DEBORAH WAKS, TRAVEL WRITER Published: 16:54 BST, 15 June 2026 | Updated: 16:58 BST, 15 June 2026
An aircraft carrying more than 200 people lost part of its engine after being struck by lightning mid-air.SriLankan Airlines flight UL606 was leaving Colombo in the early hours of Friday June 12th, when the strike occurred. Shocked passengers on board reported hearing a loud bang before seeing sparks shooting from the rear of the jet's left engine. The pilots opted to turn back to Colombo International Airport rather than continue the flight to its final destination of Sydney. Footage filmed after the plane landed safely shows a large section of the affected engine's exhaust nozzle missing. Despite the incident, none of the 207 passengers or 16 crew members on board were injured, as reported by NeedToKnow. A replacement aircraft departed Colombo at 5.51am and eventually arrived in Sydney at 8pm, more than five hours behind its scheduled 2.40pm arrival. More than 200 passengers were onboard SriLanka Airlines flight UL606 last week when a lightning strike ripped part of the plane's engine apartOne passenger, Kanchana de Silva, later wrote online: 'What began as a routine flight turned into an unexpected and frightening experience. 'During those uncertain moments, the professionalism, calmness and dedication shown by the captain and crew gave us confidence and reassurance.' They added that their fellow passengers 'remained patient, cooperative and respectful' and that their travel plans were quickly rearranged. They wrote: 'What impressed me most was how quickly another flight was organised, allowing us to continue our journey and arrive safely in Sydney.' The aircraft, an Airbus A330-243 powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-60 turbofan engines, was built in 2004. Commercial aircraft are designed to withstand lightning strikes, which typically hit an airliner once every one or two years. How the engine was damaged after the dramatic lightning strike, which saw the pilots decide to return back to Sri LankaIn most cases, the electrical current passes safely through the aircraft's structure - thanks to its design as a Faraday cage - and the flight can continue normally. Even so, engineers carry out thorough inspections after a strike to check for hidden damage and ensure the aircraft is safe to return to service. Other flights have been affected by lightning in the past - and flight attendant Mateusz Kowalewicz previously revealed what really happens if a plane is hit by lightning.He described one experience he had, saying: 'It felt like someone flashed a camera straight in my eyes. A moment later, we heard from the cockpit that we had to turn back to Warsaw.'The aircraft was fine, but logically it's better to return and take another plane than risk finding out in Rome that the aircraft must be grounded.'
