American Airlines Flight Struck by Lightning Makes Emergency Landing at JFK

An American Airlines flight bound for New York's LaGuardia Airport made an emergency landing Thursday night after it was struck by lightning, ABC-owned WABC in New York reported.

American Airlines flight 4233 was en route to LaGuardia from Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, when a pilot reported a lightning strike around 6:06 p.m. Thursday, according to WABC. The flight was diverted to nearby JFK airport, which has longer runways.

The aircraft -- an Embraer E170 operated by Republic Airlines -- landed safely at JFK, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Passengers on board described a terrifying experience to WABC, with one saying there was a flash of light followed by what sounded like an explosion. No passengers were injured.

The FAA said it is investigating the incident.