Amazing recording

Amateur filmmaker captures lightning strike on airplane

Symbolic image

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

An amateur filmmaker and student pilot has managed to capture a remarkable shot in Canada. As he filmed an Air Canada plane taking off from Vancouver airport, lightning struck the plane. The vehicle was not damaged.

Looking at this video, most viewers are probably very relieved not to have been on board. Even though there was no damage or injuries in the incident, a lightning strike to an airplane is not what you want to experience on a flight. 

Student pilot Ethan West witnessed such a rare spectacle from the ground - he also had his camera pointed at the Boeing 777-300ER, which was taking off from Vancouver. According to the CBC, the plane is one of the plane spotter's favorite aircraft and he regularly observes take-offs and landings.

Here you can see the video of the lightning strike:

Air Canada confirmed that the plane was struck by lightning in the air on Sunday. When the plane landed at Heathrow, it was inspected - and was immediately put back into service. 

Every aircraft is checked after a lightning strike
The airline explained that aircraft are built to withstand lightning strikes. Nevertheless, inspections are carried out after such an incident to be on the safe side. 

As reported by the US National Weather Service, commercial airplanes are struck by lightning once or twice a year. West was in the right place at exactly the right time: "As far as I know, there was no lightning forecast in the weather forecast, so it kind of came out of the blue," said the amateur filmmaker.