Video footage appears to show lightning striking the plane as it was en route from Germany to Heathrow Airport in the UK on Sunday.
The British Airways (BA) plane was forced to make an emergency landing at nearby Gatwick airport in the United States, The Sun reported. report.
“that [lightning] It came in just below the flight deck and exited through the tail. I saw it go through the cabin. I've heard about the torpedo hit. (Original text) “I've traveled inside a cabin before but this is the first time I've seen it in person,” Twitter user Ben, who claimed to have been on the flight, tweeted on July 7.
The plane was struck by lightning on approach to Heathrow Airport.
We saw it come in from just below the flight deck, exit through the tail and go through the passenger cabin.
I had heard stories of lightning streaking through cabins before, but this was the first time I'd actually seen it.
— Ben (@JustAnother_Ben) July 7, 2024
I did not take the original video/photos but would love to find the guy who did and get him credit and share his amazing footage. Please share!!https://t.co/q409qiXZ9r
— Kiko (@mrs_jebu) July 8, 2024
Footage of a plane being struck by lightning Published According to the New York Post.
British Airways plane struck by lightning, forced to make emergency landing https://t.co/WLgTV5sH0j pic.twitter.com/64GPIjFiIP
— New York Post (@nypost) July 8, 2024
The video appears to show the wing of a plane flying through the clouds. Suddenly, two lightning bolts appear. One is blue and appears to strike the plane's wing. The other is purplish and appears to miss the plane. (Related: Shocking video of pilot's canopy suddenly opening and shattering mid-flight)
“BA crew were fantastic when our plane was struck by lightning on approach to Heathrow,” wrote Jeko, a woman claiming to have been a passenger on the flight, on Twitter.
#shocking Flights from @British Airways today*
*This is a joke. When our plane was struck by lightning on approach to Heathrow and had to be diverted to Gatwick, the flight crew were fantastic and, to my surprise, someone had it on video! pic.twitter.com/YERuZ4JYeg
— Kiko (@mrs_jebu) July 7, 2024
The Sun newspaper reported that passengers were driven to Heathrow airport after disembarking the plane, and British Airways appeared to confirm the incident to the paper.
“BA919 landed at Gatwick Airport earlier this afternoon due to local weather conditions. The flight landed just before 2pm. Passengers were driven from Gatwick to Heathrow,” a BA spokesperson told the outlet.
According to The Independent, another British Airways plane was struck by lightning on its way to Heathrow Airport the same day. report.
“I would like to add that there was no impact on the actual flight. Passengers were notified and the flight continued on its approach to arrive without incident,” Ben added.
We would like to add that there was no impact to the actual flight – customers continued to be notified and the flight continued on its approach to arrival without incident.
The aircraft is undergoing a required routine inspection following the lightning strike.
— Ben (@JustAnother_Ben) July 7, 2024
Airbus, a European-based aerospace company Co., Ltd.told The Independent that its large aircraft are “designed and certified to withstand lightning strikes without significant damage”.
