Lightning hits China Southern Airbus A321 while taxiing, 20 strike marks found

The plane was grounded for inspection at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, delaying passengers by 4 hours

A China Southern Airlines flight was forced to abandon its departure and return to the gate at Shenzhen airport over the weekend after the Airbus A321 aircraft was struck by lightning while taxiing.

Flight CZ3209, bound for the city of Wuxi in China’s eastern Jiangsu province, was waiting on the ground during a heavy thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon when the incident occurred, according to a report by The First Scene, a news portal under Shenzhen Media Group.

The incident came to light on Sunday when a passenger took to social media to share their experience. According to the traveller, as the plane was moving, a massive thunderclap erupted directly beside it. No passenger or crew injuries were reported.

“[I think] I was struck by lightning while on a plane. My flight … was taxiing and queuing for take-off when a sudden thunderstorm broke out, with strong winds and heavy rain, causing the plane to shake. Then I felt a huge bolt of lightning strike right next to us. It felt like we were struck by lightning,” said the passenger in a post on social media platform WeChat.

The pilot then announced that the plane would require an inspection, according to the passenger.

China Southern Airlines staff later confirmed the incident with The First Scene, saying that the inspection by ground maintenance staff revealed about 20 strike marks on the plane’s underbelly and elevators – the flight control surfaces on the aircraft’s tail.