Due to the lightning strike, the jet was forced to divert and land at the nearby Gatwick airport, arriving an hour behind schedule.The passengers were then transported by road to their original destination, which was approximately 45 miles away. Despite the frightening experience, a passenger named Jeco praised the “BA crew,” saying they “were amazing” throughout the ordeal. “It was shocking,” Jeco told The Sun.
A passenger whose son and grandson were on the plane recounted a harrowing experience. The journey, which he described as the “flight from hell”, was plagued by a series of unfortunate events. The aircraft initially faced delays in Stuttgart due to overheated brakes before being forced to divert to the UK as a result of a lightning strike, according to a report from The Daily Mail.
FlightAware data reveals that the plane’s journey was smooth until it encountered adverse weather conditions in the region, causing it to circle and deviate from its intended path to Heathrow. A British Airways spokesperson confirmed the diversion of the BA919 flight to Gatwick due to “weather-related conditions in the region.”
Another British Airways flight, travelling from Lisbon to London, was also struck by lightning during the intense storm, as reported by the Independent.
A passenger on that flight described the experience, saying, “Just got struck by lightning on the approach into Heathrow.” The passenger further explained that the lightning “entered just underneath the flight deck and left the tail,” and they “saw it shoot through the cabin.”
Although the passenger had heard of such incidents before, it was their first time witnessing it firsthand.
Despite the lightning strike, the passenger emphasised that the “actual flight was unaffected,” and that “Customers were kept informed and the flight continued its approach for an uneventful arrival.”