On December 8 , 1963 Pan Am Flight 214 was flying from Baltimore to Philadelphia . While in a holding pattern , the Boeing 707 ( N709PA , '' Clipper Tradewind '' ) caught fire after being struck by lightning . The lightning ignited vapors in the fuel tanks killing all 81 people on board . As a result of the crash , Lightning discharge wicks were installed on all commercial airplanes
Pan Am Flight 214
Pan Am Flight 214
Pan American World Airways