Lightning strikes hit 2 planes over Sweden

Lightning strikes forced forced two Scandinavian Airlines System airplanes to return to Stockholm's Arland Airport, officials said. No injuries were reported. One plane, carrying 116 passengers, was heading for Luela in northern Sweden when it was struck by lightning Sunday afternoon as it flew through a thunderstorm, the Swedish news agency TT reported Monday. The other SAS airplane, with 125 passengers, was hit by lightning 15 minutes later on a flight to Umea. "Our routines state that we have to return for an inspection of the plane," Elisabeth Manzi, an SAS spokeswoman, told TT. "It's there that we have the technical expertise to investigate what has happened."