Pictured: An EasyJet Airline Airbus A319-111
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Daniel Villa
What: Easyjet Airbus 319 en route from Gatwick to Lanzarote
Where: Nantes
When: Sunday November 29, 8.30am.
Who: 136 passengers
Why: After a takeoff during stormy weather, the plane was struck by lightning. The plane returned to London and made a safe landing. After landing, the plane was checked out and deemed safe, and went on to make the flight to Lanzarote.
A passenger describes the experience.
“There was a huge flash and a loud bang. The plane shuddered and there was quite a lot of turbulence, the worst I’ve ever experienced. Then the aircraft suddenly dropped dramatically and some people were quite scared. As we landed back in Gatwick, we had fire-engines chasing us down the runway.”
United Airlines flight UA-2116 had to return and make an emergency landing at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on February 23rd.
Air India flight AI-662 made an emergency landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, India, on January 7th.