Spirit Airlines flight path through Hurricane Erin sparks online storm

A Spirit Airlines flight from Philadelphia to San Juan drew significant online attention after radar data appeared to show it flying directly into Hurricane Erin.

Radar maps and data from the tracking site Flightradar24 showed Spirit flight NK2298 cruising right through the Category 4 hurricane. The post, which asked if Spirit had "taken up the Hurricane Hunter mission," sparked a wave of concern online and prompted speculation about the flight's safety.

The reality, it turns out, was far less dramatic. "Safety is always our top priority," the airline said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Our pilots followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to San Juan (SJU). Our Operations Control Center closely tracks weather systems and works with our pilots and ATC to determine flight paths that safely navigate around or above adverse weather conditions."

According to aviation expert Michael McCormick of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he reviewed the data and found the jet was cruising at 37,000 feet, well above the storm's most violent weather. 'Only light turbulence was reported in that area,' McCormick noted, with the worst of Erin’s activity to the north of the flight path.

Aircraft are built to handle rough weather, and pilots routinely work with ground control to adjust routes in real-time. They also don’t take off if conditions are forecast to be truly dangerous.

The flight landed safely in San Juan with no reports of injuries or issues despite having just charted a course that would ignite a storm of its own on social media.