“Flight from hell”: British Airways plane diverted mid-flight after lightning strike

In a horrific incident, a British Airways plane was struck by lightning as it flew through dark and threatening skies. The flight, which departed from Stuttgart in Germany, was en route to London’s Heathrow Airport at around 2pm when the incident occurred.

Due to the lightning strike, the jet had to be diverted and land at nearby Gatwick Airport, where it arrived an hour later. The passengers were then transported by road to their original destination, about 45 miles away. Despite the frightening experience, one passenger named Jeco praised the “BA crew” and said they had been “incredible” throughout the whole ordeal. “It was shocking,” Jeco told The Sun.



One passenger, whose son and grandson were on the plane, recounted a harrowing experience. The journey, which he described as a “flight from hell,” was marred by a series of unfortunate events. The plane was first delayed in Stuttgart due to overheated brakes before being diverted to the UK following a lightning strike, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Data from FlightAware shows the plane’s journey was smooth until it encountered adverse weather conditions in the region, causing it to circle and deviate from its planned course to Heathrow. A British Airways spokesperson confirmed flight BA919 was diverted to Gatwick due to “weather-related conditions in the region.”

As the Independent reported, another British Airways flight en route from Lisbon to London was also struck by lightning during the violent storm.

One passenger on that flight described the experience as follows: “Got struck by lightning on approach to Heathrow.” The passenger further explained that the lightning “struck directly under the cockpit and exited at the tail” and they “saw it shooting through the cabin.”

Although the passenger had heard of such incidents before, it was the first time he had seen something like this with his own eyes.

The passenger stressed that the actual flight was not affected despite the lightning strike. “Customers were kept informed and the flight continued its approach, ensuring an uneventful arrival.”