A flight headed to LaGuardia Airport in New York City was diverted Thursday after reporting a lightning strike.
American Airlines Flight 4233 — an Embraer E170 with 55 passengers — landed safely at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly after 6 p.m. ET, according to a statement from the FAA.
No injuries were reported.
“It was a flash of light and a big explosion and it just felt like we were on a roller coaster,” passenger Lou Luca told CNN affiliate WABC. “And then I smelled smoke. The pilot didn’t say anything for about five minutes and after five minutes, he said everything was fine. … I was very scared. I thought the world was ending. I really thought that that was it.”
The flight, which was operated by Republic Airlines, had departed from Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina.
The FAA said it would investigate the incident.