Took off anyway

Lightning strikes the plane shortly before take-off

(Bild: x.com/bernaldinho79)

You don't have to be scared of flying to feel horror at this sight: Shortly before his plane was due to take off, a British passenger happened to film lightning striking the plane he was about to take off in. The plane took off anyway - but with a slight delay.

As he waited in São Paulo to be allowed to board the A350, the dramatic moment occurred - just as Bernhard Warr was pointing his cell phone at the plane to take a quick video. He managed to capture a unique shot when lightning struck the tail unit of the British Airways plane for several seconds.

The lightning "attacked" the A350 for several seconds.(Bild: x.com/bernaldinho79)

Violent thunderstorm came up shortly before take-off
"We had good weather all week with little rain. Just as we arrived at the airport, a huge thunderstorm hit," he told the agency Storyful. All flights were postponed by an hour. Warr sensed that lightning was about to strike nearby and started a recording. "I was lucky and the lightning struck right in front of me!" said the Brit.

Bernhard Warr went viral with the video on X: 

He posted the clip online on X and asked in it what kind of controls would now be in place. An answer came promptly from the Flightradar24 profile: "The technicians will inspect the entry and exit points as well as the fuselage for damage. They will also ensure that all systems are operational." After minor repairs, the plane finally took off several hours late.

Lightning strikes a commercial aircraft every year
Lightning strikes on airplanes are not uncommon: on average, it happens to an aircraft at least once a year, as the platform "View from the wing" reports. However, it has been more than 40 years since a crash was attributed to a lightning strike. Modern airplanes are well designed - which is why the British Airways plane was able to land safely at its destination in London.