British Airways Flight Diverts to Gatwick After Being Struck by Lightning Near Heathrow

Imagine boarding a plane for a routine flight, only to find yourself in the middle of a dramatic and unexpected event.

That’s exactly what happened to passengers on British Airways Flight BA919 from Stuttgart to Heathrow.

Passengers were left in shock when their plane was struck by lightning as it approached Heathrow Airport.

The crew had to make a quick decision to divert the flight to Gatwick instead.

The flight, which departed from Germany shortly after 1 PM local time (12 PM BST), was initially scheduled to land at Heathrow at 1:40 PM.

However, due to severe weather conditions, the pilots opted to divert to Gatwick, where the passengers eventually arrived around 2 PM.

From there, they were transported by road to Heathrow.

Passengers’ Reactions

One passenger shared a photo of the lightning strike from their window, praising the crew for their professionalism during the frightening experience.

They described the incident as “shocking,” highlighting the crew’s efforts to keep everyone calm and safe.

Another person, whose son and grandson were on the flight, recounted the ordeal as the “flight from hell.”

The passengers had already faced delays in Stuttgart due to overheated brakes, only to encounter a lightning strike upon arrival in the UK.

Official Response

A British Airways spokesperson confirmed the diversion, stating, “BA919 diverted to Gatwick earlier this afternoon due to weather-related conditions in the region.

The flight landed just before 2 PM.

Customers were driven from Gatwick to Heathrow.”

More First-Hand Accounts

Yet another passenger on a different flight to Heathrow shared their experience of the lightning strike.

They witnessed the lightning entering just below the flight deck and exiting through the tail, describing it as an unbelievable sight.

This was their first time seeing lightning travel through the cabin in real life.

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