An American Airlines pilot declared an emergency Friday afternoon when lightning struck the left side of his MD80 aircraft, a company spokeswoman said.

The flight landed without incident at 4:19 p.m. at Bush Intercontinental Airport, said Andrea Hughley, an airline spokeswoman.

The aircraft, carrying 135 passengers and five crew members, was struck about 20 to 30 miles outside of Houston, she said.

“The plane was fine and it went back into service,” Hughley said.

Every plane is equipped with electrical shock absorbents, she said.

The incident did not cause any disruptions to normal airport operations.