How often are aircraft struck by lightning?
It is estimated that on average, each airplane in the U.S. commercial fleet is struck slightly more than once per year. In fact, aircraft often trigger lightning when flying through a heavily charged region of a cloud. In these instances, the lightning flash originates at the airplane and extends away in opposite directions. Although record keeping is poor, smaller business and private airplanes are thought to be struck less frequently because they usually do not adhere to rigid schedules.
