An Air Canada Boeing 777-300ER was struck by lightning on Sunday while taking off from Vancouver International Airport. The airliner was scheduled to fly a 10-hour intercontinental service from Canada’s West Coast to London Heathrow Airport. The Triple Seven continued the flight after the strike and landed safely. Despite Boeing’s ongoing quality control woes, this rare incident shows how aircraft are designed to withstand lightning strikes.
Ethan West, a planespotter and student pilot, was luckily in a park beyond the end of the runway. He was there specifically to record the aircraft departing. West told CityNews that the Boeing 777 is one of his favorite aircraft because of how loud its engines are. He added:
“I was just wondering what was going to happen. From my perspective, I was wondering if they were going to have to divert because I know that there’s, obviously, checklists that they’re going to have to follow. I know that there wouldn’t be any serious issues but just wondering if they’re going to have to divert, and if even the passengers knew what was going on.”
While the video footage is dramatic, large aircraft have several features that protect their occupants from lightning. According to the Flight Safety Foundation, the inherent design of an aircraft’s hull acts as a Faraday cage to shield everyone inside. Even as newer airliners utilize composite materials, conductive fibers are embedded in the fuselage to maintain the Faraday cage effect. The fuel systems are also built sturdy enough to prevent lightning burn-through ignitions. Also, the avionics have robust surge suppression as well as using shielded cables.
Commercial airlines are struck by lightning every 1,000 flight hours or about once per year. When that once-in-a-year strike happens, rest assured that the plane will stay airborne.