The answer, one expert says, is a resounding ?yes.? ?Standard commercial airplanes are designed to take lightning strikes,? says Prof. John Hansman, professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and director of the International Center for Air Transportation at MIT.

Yes, commercial airplanes are designed to be incredibly safe during lightning strikes, and it is estimated that every commercial jet is hit by lightning at least once or twice a year. The aircraft's fuselage acts as a Faraday Cage; the outer skin is typically made of aluminum (or composite materials with embedded conductive mesh) that allows the electrical current to flow around the exterior of the plane and exit through the tail or wingtips without entering the cabin or damaging sensitive electronics. While passengers might hear a loud "bang" or see a bright flash, the plane's flight systems are shielded to prevent interference. After a strike, pilots follow a standard protocol to check all instruments, and the aircraft undergoes a mandatory, detailed technical inspection upon landing to check for minor "entry" or "exit" burn marks on the skin. There hasn't been a commercial crash caused by lightning in decades, as modern fuel systems and avionics are engineered to withstand even the most powerful atmospheric discharges.