Passengers of an Icelandair flight to Denver on Tuesday were left in a bit of shock after their plane was struck by lightning shortly after takeoff . Though the Boeing 757 continued its 3,700-mile journey from Reykjavik , Iceland , to Denver , it was n't until the plane landed that passengers and crew were aware of a gaping hole in the nose of the plane . The hole was at a point in the plane where weather radars are housed , but the plane landed safely in Denver and no one was injured . It is unknown how many people were on board . A plane was struck by lightning shortly after takeoff during a flight from Reykjavik , Iceland , to Denver , Colorado on Tuesday . It was n't until after landing that the passengers and crew found out the lightning strike caused a gaping hole at the nose of the plane . Passenger Kyle Hernandez , a member of the band The Bunny Gang , said that the lightning 'shook the plane and it was bright ' . 'Everybody kind of got tense and we all jumped and looked at each other , ' Hernandez told FOX31 . His bandmate Nathen Maxwell told the Denver Post that it sounded like a 'bang and a pop ' . 'At some point pretty soon after we left , we got hit . It was n't at the halfway point , ' Maxwell said . ' I thought we 'd probably have to go for an emergency landing or turn around , detour or something . ' Passenger Amanda Boldenow said everyone from the plane immediately walked to the terminal 's windows when they arrived in Denver . 'We walked over and everyone is staring at this hole in the nose , ' she said . 'Lighting had struck the plane . I had never been in a plane that had been struck by lightning , so I was really startled . ' The journey from Reykjavik to Denver is about 3,740 miles . Passengers on the plane said the lightning struck shortly after takeoff . Pilots reported the lighting but continued on with the eight-hour flight to Denver . The plane landed safely and no one was injured . Aviation experts said that lightning strikes to commercial planes happen one to five times per year , according to 9News , and modern aircraft are equipped to handle these strikes . Metropolitan State University of Denver aviation professor Jeff Price said that lightning strikes that damage a plane , however , are rare . 'It could be one of those weird `` acts of God '' where it hit at the right point . The important thing is the plane landed safely , ' Price said . A spokesman from Icelandair said that though people were concerned there was no detour , the pilots followed protocol in the situation . The spokesman said : 'During departure from Keflavik International Airport the Boeing 757 aircraft used for Icelandair flight 671 was struck by lightning . 'The aircraft handling characteristics and notification systems were unaffected and the flight continued . 'Lightning strikes are common and protocol was followed . There was no cause for further concern and the flight landed without issue . This aircraft was replaced upon landing and is being evaluated . ' The plane has been removed from service and will be inspected and repaired and Iceland 's FAA equivalent will be responsible of the investigation .
Flight was flying from Reykjavik , returning to Denver when it was repaired . Passengers said it was struck by lightning shortly after the plane took off . Pilots reported the lighting and continued eight - hour flight to Denver . It was n't until they heard that pilots notice huge hole at the nose of plane . No one on board was injured and the plane landed safely in Denver .