A rare and spectacular scene.
An Air Canada Boeing 777 with more than 400 passengers on board was struck by lightning shortly after takeoff from Vancouver airport (Canada) on Sunday, March 3.
The incident, captured on video by an aircraft spotter, did not cause any casualties; the aircraft was even able to continue its flight and land as planned in London (United Kingdom).
In the images shared by Ethan West, a young aviation enthusiast who is studying to become a pilot, we see the plane in the air, a few seconds after takeoff, struck by a flash of lightning which briefly illuminates the sky but does not disrupt it. maneuvering the plane.
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Air Canada Boeing 777 gets struck by lightning while departing Vancouver, BC over the weekend pic.twitter.com/91LcPoiVpS
â Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 6, 2024
If the voltage of lightning can reach 100 million volts and its intensity 200,000 amperes, planes are designed to withstand this type of weather phenomenon.
They are equipped with lightning rods on the different ends of the device to capture the electricity from lightning to direct it towards the conductive surface of the aircraft and dissipate it without it passing through the interior of the device.
To be authorized to fly, an aircraft must be certified âlightning resistantâ.
A plane is struck by lightning once or twice a year
According to the National Weather Service, the American meteorological agency, an airliner is struck by lightning on average once or twice a year.
âIn reality, planes often even trigger the impact because their presence in the sky amplifies the electric field typical of storms,â explain the specialists.
Also read: Incident on a Boeing 737 Max: passengers demand a billion dollars
Following the incident, Air Canada said the plane was inspected upon arrival at London Heathrow Airport to ensure no damage affected the safety of the flight.