A lightning-triggered foam flood hit a Spirit Airlines hangar at the Detroit airport, grounding planes.
Around 5:00 p.m. on July 4, a lightning strike triggered the high-expansion foam fire suppression system inside the Spirit Airlines maintenance hangar, flooding the 126,840-square foot floor and spilling onto the adjacent ramp – reportedly reaching several aircraft:
- one Airbus A321 and one Airbus A320 undergoing maintenance inside the hangar
- three additional Airbus aircraft parked nearby on the ramp
Those jets are going to require significant inspections…that foam is corrosive & nothing you want to trifle with.
Spirit has been having a rough few years. https://t.co/2AXI0lqbxe pic.twitter.com/sSZqzxCtYZ
— KC-10 Driver ✈️ ✈️ B-737 Wrangler (@MCCCANM) July 5, 2025
Wayne County Airport Authority firefighting crews spent much of July 5 clearing foam from the hangar and surrounding ramp to minimize corrosion damage.
High-expansion fire suppression foam is designed to quickly smother aviation fuel fires but is corrosive to aircraft components. It can affect avionics, engines, wiring, interior cabin fittings, and structural aluminum elements. Aircraft require extensive inspections and cleaning – potentially sidelining them for days (or even weeks, depending on what is found).
Spirit Airlines operates fewer than 200 aircraft, so taking even a few planes out of service could be significant during the summer travel season and admidst continued issues with Pratt & Whitney engine inspections.
The airline shares that 3 planes had to be taken out of service,
On July 4, the fire suppression system at our Detroit (DTW) maintenance facility was inadvertently activated, which we believe was caused by lightning nearby. There was no fire, and no injuries were reported. Two aircraft parked inside the facility and one aircraft parked outside the facility were removed from service for inspection by our maintenance team. We have engaged a contractor to assist with cleanup efforts, and we thank first responders for their quick response and assistance. There is no impact to our flight operations.
Updated with statement from Spirit Airlines.
That looks expensive…
… as will be future insurance premiums for weather-related catastrophes. Delta planes got whacked by a hale storm in Atlanta just a week ago and they had to take 100 out of service to inspect them. I didn’t see any follow up news about actual damage. But even if the Southwest and Delta planes end up being ok, there is still the business “loss of use” damages to consider.
Sorry, I meant “hail” storm.
At least those aircraft will get an inspection for corrosion which could be a good thing. Some aircraft have failed due to corrosion.
These systems must trigger pretty easily? This has happened to AA at ORD, DL at LAX, BA, Airbus Mobile all within the last five years or so.
Having been a FA for many years, I’ve never heard of this corrosion event before.
you gotta feel sorry for them for all this bad luck.
That might actually be beneficial to spirit with potentially the airport’s insurance paying for that damage
Aircraft maintenance require’s parts to be cleaned with potentially corrosive solvents during routine inspections in normal operations. Allowed to sit, there is potential for contamination, in this situation the aircraft will be washed, cleaned and inspected and should be back in service shortly (depending upon the amount of maintenance personnel available to complete the work required).
Jock,
I’m sorry they didn’t notify you. Now back to serving coffee.
Poor Spirit just can’t get a break, one thing after another.