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Lightning strike shuts down SLO airport

January 7, 2016

lightningLightning struck the air traffic control tower at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport on Wednesday, destroying key navigational equipment. The airport is currently closed during nighttime hours. [KSBY]

The lightning strike damaged the airport’s navigation system and caused equipment that lights up the runway to stop working. As a result, planes can only take off and land when there is daylight.

New lighting equipment is expected to arrive on Friday.

After the lightning strike, workers heard crackling sounds in the wall, and they evacuated the control tower. The strike also knocked out power.

Firefighters responded to the scene at 1:45 p.m. They did not find any sign of a fire.

Additional lightning strikes also hit other areas of the airport.


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God is telling all of us to close this sorry excuse for an airport.


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I live about 1/2 mile from the airport and it felt like the thunder would blow out the windows of our house. The dog went and hid under the bed. The power was out for about an hour. people in the Mid West are familiar with these types of thunder storms so it does bother them too much. This is the second year in a row that we have had intense lightening right over our house. Maybe someone is trying to tell me something.


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Move Johnny


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Seems like a good time to close the airport for good, it won’t be long before people move near it and complain about the noise.


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Actually, there have been arguments for years about the merits of having three Central Coast airports in SLO, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara. They all siphon off business from each other. Perhaps the Santa Maria airport can be expanded to serve the entire Central Coast, as it is less than an hour’s drive from most locations in the area. Then the SLO Airport can be turned over to General Aviation.


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Hmmm?…Tower….obstruction lighting, lightning rod, grounding plan. Was there a grounding plan? Did Gov forget to cross a T or dot an I while slurping up tax dollars or is that only important when there is an new fee to be charged to the taxpayer?


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I like smoke and lightning

Heavy metal thunder


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Time to consider a more rigorous design. Put on your big boy pants.


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San Luis Obispo, get ready, this may be the event that all true Christians have been waiting for, and that is Jesus’ return!


“For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:27)


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