On 2/27 I was waiting in the car at ORD to pick up a friend who was arriving on Spirit Air from RSW. As I waited, lightning strikes were all around me, yet the planes seemed to be coming through without interruption. I was surprised at the number of planes landing, since I thought they tried to avoid it, but these guys were barreling right on in. When my friend arrived, she told me that during descent, the plane was hit on the left wing in the engine area. She reported hearing a crack and then seeing a flash of light outside the plane, next a red glow near the engine as the plane shuddered. Several passengers around her were screaming and crying, but the two off-duty pilots seated opposite her just continued their conversation so she wasn't too concerned. Obviously this isn't a safety issue, but as I stated, I thought planes didn't land into a thunderstorm, so I'm confused. Anyone have any ideas?