A British Airways plane on a recent flight to India was hit by lightning shortly after take-off – but continued on its nine-hour journey despite reports that it had sustained “more than 40 small holes” in the incident. The non-stop service BA-35 had just left Heathrow on July 22, headed for the Indian city of Chennai, when it was struck. (www.ondtravel.net) さらに...
I was aboard a BOAC comet in about 1960/61 travelling non-stop Heathrow to Muharraq (Bahrain) when the aircraft was hit by lightning on the tail. I was sat by the window watching the light display which was a bit like St Elmo's fire but we didn't really notice anything amiss, don't even think the lights flickered so we knew nothing until the pilot made an announcement. We carried on and when we arrived I was met on disembarkation by my parents who didn't really believe me. (I was about 14) We were later told by a friend of my parents who was stationed with RAF at Muharraq, that the aircraft had been examined and evidence of a lightning strike was noted on the starboard side of the fin. The plane carried on towards Singapore almost immediately and without any significant delay. Seems that BA's earlier incarnation also had adequate Faraday cages and were similarly dismissive.
We were later told by a friend of my parents who was stationed with RAF at Muharraq, that the aircraft had been examined and evidence of a lightning strike was noted on the starboard side of the fin. The plane carried on towards Singapore almost immediately and without any significant delay. Seems that BA's earlier incarnation also had adequate Faraday cages and were similarly dismissive.