Flight canceled mid-air, heads back to Charlotte - The Post and Courier

From the Charlotte Post and Courier: "A strange thing happened to a plane en route from Charlotte to Charleston on Wednesday night. Already beginning his final descent into the Lowcountry, the pilot on U.S. Airways Flight 3203 announced that he was turning around and heading back to Charlotte. Charleston International Airport, he told passengers as the clock ticked past midnight, had closed."

Flight 3203's inconvenient evening began with inclement weather in Charlotte, according to Carlo Bertolini, spokesman for Republic Airways, the carrier that operated the flight for U.S. Airways. Bertolini said lightning struck near Charlotte Douglas International Airport and delayed takeoff after the plane left the gate at around 10:30 p.m. The flight, which was scheduled to arrive in Charleston at 11:25 p.m., departed Charlotte at 11:43 p.m., he said.

"We thought we were going to be able to make it in time," Bertolini said. "In addition, we thought the tower might remain open a little later." Instead, only 50 miles outside of Charleston the pilot learned he would have to take the 66 passengers and four crew members back to Charlotte."