LV-bound plane hit by lightning

Thursday, June 17, 2004 | 11:11 a.m.

No one was injured Wednesday evening after a commercial airliner bound for Las Vegas from Pittsburgh was struck by lightning, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Indianapolis.

Passengers aboard the plane smelled a faint electrical odor, at which point the pilot made the emergency landing. The aircraft was inspected and arrived in Las Vegas about 6:20 p.m., McCarran International Airport spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez said.

No injuries or significant damage to the aircraft were reported.

Planes are sometimes struck by lightning, but can usually continue flying safely afterward, according to aviation and science Web sites.

The outer surfaces of aircraft are usually made of aluminum or other electricity conductors so that the lightning will flow along the exterior of the plane and into the air. An airplane's metallic skin substitutes for part of the air path followed by the lightning.