Caught On Camera: Delta Airlines Plane Hit By Lightning While Taxiing
The moment a bolt of lightning struck a Delta Airlines plane taxiing towards the runway for take off has been captured on video. The video which was uploaded to by YouTuber Jack Perkins is now going viral.
According to a CNN report, the Delta Airlines plane struck by lightning was in line for take-off at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport earlier this week when the amazing spectacle was caught on camera.
The lightning strike has been confirmed by Morgan Durrant, a spokesperson for Delta Airlines. He clarified that the plane that was struck by lightning was Delta Airlines Flight 67 to Las Vegas. The aircraft that was hit was a Boeing 737-900R that was in queue for take-off from what is widely regarded as the world’s busiest airport. The incident happened earlier this week on Tuesday. It is only now that the video of the lightning strike was uploaded to YouTube. The video and a related image has since then been retweeted several hundred times.
#NationalAviationDay PHOTO OF THE DAY from #ATL @airlineguys @airlineguys @AirlineGeeks @vargasmoni @apoure25 #avgeek pic.twitter.com/PFYphKsl1H
— Eric (@GoldboxATL) August 20, 2015
In the video, you can see several planes lined up for take-off even as heavy rains pelt the taxiways at the airport. At the 18 second mark, a sudden bolt of light hits the Delta Airlines plane. Everything happens in the blink of an eye.
In the video description, Jack Perkins writes;
“While filming the line of planes all stacked up during a ground hold in Atlanta on 8/18/15 I happened to capture this direct lightning strike on a 737.”
Meanwhile Delta Airlines confirmed there were 111 passengers and six crew members on board the flight. There were no injuries reported. However, the plane was delayed and finally took off over 2 hours late. However, it did manage to make up for lost time and landed only 20 minutes late at Las Vegas. Delta Airlines officials confirmed that thorough checks were conducted on the aircraft hit by the lightning bolt. In an emailed statement to news outlets, Morgan Durrant wrote.
“As with any event involving aircraft, Delta is doing a thorough investigation of the circumstances around this flight as safety is always Delta’s top priority. Aircraft design allows lightning bolts to be safely redirected. Fuselage structure and industrial-grade insulation acts as (a) super-conductive lightning rod that rechannels lightning around and away from customers and crew and out into the ground via the landing gear.”
While the video of the lightning strike on the plane is scary to watch, it is not uncommon for planes to be struck by lightning even during flights. Most of the times, these go undetected and barely affects the plane adversely.
[Image Via YouTube Screenshot]
