Plane struck by lightning in the Netherlands

A passenger plane flying from the Netherlands to Peru was struck by lightning shortly after take-off, fortunately no one was injured.

KLM plane struck by lightning after takeoff. Screenshot

Traveling in bad weather is always fraught with potential dangers, especially when you're on a Boeing 777 about to fly into an electrically charged cloud.

According to Russia Today on November 14, the image of a KLM plane being struck by lightning has been spreading rapidly on the internet in recent days. The KLM Boeing had just taken off from Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam, Netherlands) when it flew into an electrically charged cloud and was struck by lightning right in the nose.

Fortunately, the Boeing 777-300ER was unharmed after being struck by lightning, continued to gain altitude and landed safely at Peru's Lima airport 12 and a half hours later.

KLM confirmed that their plane was struck by lightning but there were no serious problems.

The question is why were the planes and passengers unharmed after the incident? Even when parked at the airport, some planes were struck by lightning.

Delta Airlines (USA) plane was struck by lightning while on the taxiway. Screenshot

Airplanes are often struck by lightning at certain points such as the nose and wingtips. And because there are no openings in the fuselage, after being struck by lightning, the current will continue to travel along the outer aluminum surface and escape into the environment through the sharp point at the tail of the aircraft.

At present, aircraft being struck by lightning, although not rare, is very rare and only happens on the fingers of one hand each year worldwide. However, there are still some cases where pilots complain that the electrical system and some equipment on the plane are disturbed after being struck by lightning.

In fact, it is true that planes have crashed after being struck by lightning, not just rumors. Aviation history records a case in 1967 in the US and the most recent case is the Colombian plane crash in 2010.

The cause is believed to be lightning striking the plane's fuel tank, causing it to explode and causing the tragedy.

The skins of modern aircraft such as Boeing's Dreamliner and the new generation of Airbus are made largely from composite materials coated with copper to protect the interior from lightning currents. Fuel tanks are also covered with metal, and windows and doors are made of metal that can withstand melting temperatures of up to 27,000 degrees Celsius.

According to Tuoi Tre