WATCH ABOVE: It’s a good thing the plane was on the ground – and not mid-flight.
TORONTO – A man was recording with his cellphone when lightning struck a Delta Airlines plane while it sat on a runway.
YouTube user Jack Perkins wasn’t able to board his flight Tuesday because of terrible weather moving through the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport area. His intention was to share footage of the weather with his wife, according to CBS.
“While filming the line of planes all stacked up during a ground hold in Atlanta on [Tuesday] I happened to capture this direct lightning strike on a 737” Perkins explained on YouTube.
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Global News writer Kim Gertler contacted Delta Airlines and a spokesman confirmed that 111 customers and six crew were on board the Boeing 737-900ER during the incident. The aircraft was awaiting clearance for take-off.
As incredible as the footage is, Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said that aircraft design “allows lightning bolts to be safely directed.”
“As with any event involving aircraft, Delta is doing a thorough investigation of the circumstances around this flight as safety is always Delta’s top priority.”
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