Lightning strike forces Delta flight to Rome to return to Boston

BOSTON - A Delta Air Lines flight from Boston to Rome was forced to turn around and head back to Logan Airport Sunday evening because of a lightning strike, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

Delta Flight 112

Delta flight 112 left Boston around 6:10 p.m. and was due to land in Rome at 8:15 a.m. Monday, local time.

According to flight tracker FlightAware , the jet was about an hour into the flight over the Atlantic Ocean when it turned around and landed back at Logan at 7:20 p.m.

The FAA told WBZ-TV the crew of the Airbus A330 "reported a lightning strike following departure."

Delta flight "encountering lightning"

Delta would only say the jet turned around after "encountering lightning."

"Delta flight 112 operating from Boston to Rome returned to BOS out of an abundance of caution after encountering lightning," Delta spokesperson Emma Johnson told WBZ in a statement.

"The flight landed safely and without further incident. We are working to get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible, and we apologize for the delay in their travel. The safety of our customers and people remains Delta's most important priority."

There were 216 people on board the flight, including the crew. The FAA said it will investigate the incident.

"FAA regulations require that commercial aircraft be designed to withstand lightning strikes," the agency said in a statement.

Logan Airport storms

Storms on the East Coast caused other air traffic issues Sunday.

Several flights headed to New York City were diverted to Boston.

Some passengers told WBZ-TV they sat on the tarmac at Logan Airport for hours because too many planes were coming in.

Others were forced to spend the night in Boston after being diverted. The bad weather also delayed and canceled hundreds of flights at Logan.