A student pilot captured video of a passenger plane being struck by lightning in BC.
Ethan West describes himself as a “planespotter,” a hobbyist who enjoys observing and recording airplanes.
He was at Larry Berg Flight Path Park, near the end of Vancouver International Airport’s south runway, on Sunday when he noticed a Boeing 777-300ER – one of his favorite planes – taking off.
He began filming the plane in the air when it was struck by lightning.
Air Canada confirmed in a statement that a flight departing YVR on Sunday was struck by lightning. The aircraft was inspected upon arrival at Heathrow Airport and has resumed operations.
The airline said its planes are built to withstand lightning strikes and that all aircraft would be taken out of service and checked by technicians after a strike.
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West said he had seen comments on social media expressing concern that injuries could occur in the attack.
“That’s simply not the case,” he said. “These planes are designed to withstand such lightning strikes.”
According to the U.S. National Weather Service, the average commercial aircraft is struck by lightning once or twice a year.
“In fact, lightning strikes are often triggered by aircraft because their presence amplifies the surrounding electrical fields typical of thunderstorms and facilitates electrical penetration through the air,” the service said in a statement.
While it is not uncommon for lightning to strike an airplane, it is rare for such a strike to be captured on video.
West says he is glad he was in the right place at the right time.
“As far as I know, there was no lightning forecast in the weather report, so it kind of came out of the blue,” he said.
“I didn’t even think about it at the time. I just wanted to make a cool video of the Triple Seven taking off.”
