A scholar pilot captured video of a passenger airplane in B.C. being struck by lightning.
Ethan West describes himself as a aircraft spotter, a hobbyist who enjoys watching and recording plane.
He was at Larry Berg Flight Path Park, close to the tip of the south runway at Vancouver Worldwide Airport, on Sunday and famous a Boeing 777-300ER — certainly one of his favorite plane — was departing.
He started to file the aircraft within the air when it was struck by lightning.
Air Canada confirmed in a press release {that a} flight leaving YVR on Sunday had a lightning strike. The aircraft was inspected upon arriving at Heathrow Airport and has resumed service.
The airline mentioned its planes are constructed to face up to lightning strikes and all plane are taken out of service to be checked by engineers after they’re hit.
All Factors West6:15How does a lightning strike have an effect on an plane?
West mentioned he is seen feedback on social media elevating considerations about how the strike might trigger damage.
“That is simply not the case,” he mentioned. “These plane are designed so as to take this kind of lightning strike.”
In response to the U.S. Nationwide Climate Service, a industrial aircraft is hit by lightning a median of 1 or two occasions a 12 months.
“Truly, plane typically provoke the strike as a result of their presence enhances the ambient electrical fields typical for thunderstorms and facilitates electrical breakdown via air,” the service says.
Whereas lightning hitting a aircraft is probably not too uncommon, video capturing a strike is extra unusual.
West says he is glad he was in the suitable place on the proper time.
“From what I do know, there was no lightning predicted within the climate forecast, so it was sort of out of the blue,” he mentioned.
“I wasn’t even occupied with it on the time. I used to be simply occupied with getting a cool video of the Triple Seven departing.”