‘Big boom and a jolt’
B.C. family recounts flight where lightning strikes plane
Glacier Media
A B.C. family was on a flight to Vancouver Island on Wednesday when their plane was struck by lightning.
Jessica McConnell and her 15-year-old son were headed home to Quadra Island from visiting Calgary on spring break. They stopped at Vancouver International Airport for a layover and were supposed to fly out about 9:45 a.m. on flight AC8323 to Comox.
“It just started to sprinkle as we were getting on the plane,” McConnell said.
As the plane ascended, there was a loud sound and a flash of light.
“There was a big boom and a jolt,” McConnell said. “It was very disorienting. I was trying to figure out what had just happened. At first, I thought maybe something had happened with the prop or something.”
Shortly after, the pilot alerted passengers the aircraft had been struck by lightning.
A spokesperson with Air Canada confirmed that the express flight operated by Jazz Aviation encountered lightning during departure.
“The crew elected to return to YVR,” the spokesperson said.
“It is important to note that aircraft are built to sustain lightning contact.”
Air Canada said a full maintenance inspection is undertaken following such an event as part of “robust operating procedures.”
McConnell said there was a lot of turbulence and lightning as they flew back through the storm. “So that was pretty scary.”
The plane landed safely at Vancouver International Airport, but people were not able to disembark because the lightning storm was still taking place.
“We had to wait probably 40 minutes, I would say, on the tarmac for that to kind of blow over and for them to be able to come and get us,” McConnell said.
McConnell credits the flight crew for keeping everyone calm. After waiting at the airport until roughly midnight, they were able to get on another flight to Comox.
“I’m just happy to be home safe and sound,” she said. “Flying home in a tiny prop plane when it was hit by lightning is not an experience I care to repeat.”