You might assume that encountering turbulence is the worst scenario while you’re mid-flight — except when lightning makes an appearance.
This scenario unfolded along Tuesday morning over New Zealand when an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Dunedin escalated to an episode of a disaster film. There was a flash of bright orange fireball near the left wing, yells of terror from passengers, and this sudden panic filled with the kind cycles of emotions that no safety demonstration could prepare you for.
Let’s Skip Ahead to the Madness
“Everyone was scared. People were literally bouncing off their seats,” said a passenger, Quincy Sio, on board for a work trip. He gave an interview to the NZ Herald and described the flight prior to the fireball. Conditions were already nasty from takeoff and since then, turbulence began lifting the aircraft up and tossing it side to side, and that’s just when the trouble really began.
Next was the flash. A large bolt of lightning struck the plane, and then the fireball happened, which Sio recalled as the “huge orange fireball”, as it bolted along the left wing of the plane. And just like that — it was chaos — watching people yell, grabbing the armrest, praying that we were going to crash on the ground like the fireball appeared to be.
Emergency Landing in Christchurch
Flight NZ673 had to make an emergency landing at Christchurch Airport.
An Air New Zealand spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft was undergoing testing to ensure it was airworthy before returning to the skies.
Fortunately, no one was hurt physically — but mentally? That’s a different story. The fear and confusion left many passengers rattled, with some reportedly refusing to board another flight for the rest of the day.
A lightning show no one asked for
Later that morning, meteorologists confirmed they had recorded hundreds of lightning strikes over the northern part of New Zealand’s North Island. The storm system was very active and caused the turbulence and unsafe conditions throughout the area.
And, the nightmare didn’t stop at one plane for Air New Zealand. The return flight, NZ676 Dunedin to Auckland, was subsequently canceled altogether, leaving the passengers stranded until a replacement aircraft could be charted.
What Occurs When Lightning Strikes an Aircraft?
It might be surprising, but lightning strikes on airplanes are not that uncommon; on average they happen approximately once a year per airplane. The sturdy modern airplane designs are tested and proven to withstand such experiences properly, and their metal shells provide a pathway around the fuselage to avoid transferring the electricity to the passengers.
But when you’re inside the airplane and notice a flash of a fireball outside your window, that science doesn’t provide much comfort.
What Is The After Effect of a Storm
At this moment, the airplane was able to land safely. Everyone survived, and engineers, as you can expect, began regular aerospace engineer investigations where they checked every bolt and every circuit. For the people sitting on the plane, I would imagine the image of a glowing orange fireball lighting up the sky would stay with them.
Flight statistics and safety are real. Lightning strikes are rare. But when lightning does strike, even the bravest, most intrepid flyer is going to cling to the armrest and yell scream bloody murder.
