BC-CT--Kennedy-Lightning,0164
Plane carrying Sen. Kennedy struck by lightning
Eds: Note Conn. angle in lede.
BOSTON (AP) — A plane carrying U.S Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from a commencement speech in western Massachusetts to his Cape Cod home on Saturday was struck by lightning and had to be diverted to New Haven, Conn., a Kennedy spokeswoman said.
The plane lost all electrical power and the pilot had to fly the plane manually, according to Melissa Wagoner, Kennedy’s press secretary. No one was hurt.
The Massachusetts Democrat had just delivered the commencement address at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and was on his way to Hyannis to spend Mother’s Day with family when the plane was struck at about 2:45 p.m., she said.
Kennedy planned to stay in Connecticut overnight because he is scheduled to deliver another commencement address at Springfield College on Sunday, she said.
The incident was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, Wagoner said.
The FAA did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press on Saturday night.
AP-ES-05-13-06 2158EDT


Some how it just came over our wire at work now. But it says incident happened at 2:45 p.m.
Don't know if this is a dupe. This is the first I heard of it.