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The pilot of British Airways flight 501 from Lisbon to London Heathrow reported being struck by lightning while on approach to the airport on Sunday. He described the lightning as having “entered [the aircraft] just underneath the flight deck” and said it left via the aircraft’s tail. “We saw it shoot through the cabin,” he noted, an occurrence he had only heard about in stories but never witnessed before.
“Just got struck by lightning on the approach into Heathrow. It entered just underneath the flight deck and left the tail – we saw it shoot through the cabin. I’d heard of lighting travelling through the cabin before but it was my first time seeing it in real life,” tweeted Ben (@JustAnother_Ben) on July 7, 2024.
Despite this incident, the flight remained unaffected, with the pilot making an announcement due to the noise created by the strike. The aircraft is expected to remain grounded for approximately 18 hours for a routine inspection following a lightning strike, which includes testing electronic systems and checking for physical damage.
