Gatwick: Terror gripped the passengers onboard a British Airway flight enroute to London’s Heathrow from Germany’s Stuttgart Airport as lightning struck the plane mid-air. Following the incident, the pilot was forced to divert the flight as a precautionary measure. It is being claimed that all the passengers and the crew members aboard the flight were safe, as the flight made an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport.
Recounting the horror, the passengers said that the flight was forced to divert to Gatwick during its journey from Stuttgart to Heathrow. One of the passengers stated, “The incident came as a shock. But, the crew were amazing when our flight got struck by lightning on the approach to Heathrow.”
Passengers Were Later Driven To Heathrow By Road
After the flight landed at the airport, the passengers were driven to Heathrow by road.
In its statement, British Airways said, “BA919 diverted to Gatwick earlier this afternoon due to weather-related conditions in the region. The flight landed just before 2 pm. Customers were driven from Gatwick to Heathrow.”
Lightning strikes on commercial planes are common. The airline Pegasus said research shows “every aircraft is struck by lightning once a year on average.”
The company added, “If an aircraft is struck by lightning, it can cause a radiant light and a strong rumble along with shakes. In case of a lightning strike, passengers should remain calm and follow the flight attendant’s instructions.”
Planes are painted with anti-static paint and are engineered in such a way that lightning goes back into the air. Generally, no or minor damage is caused by lightning but passengers can become alarmed by explosion sounds. “Only the small parts on the aircraft’s outer body might get harmed but it is quite predictable in case of a lightning strike,” Pegasus said.
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