Video: Terrifying moment jet struck by lightning as it lands at Heathrow

A passenger jet minutes away from landing at Heathrow was struck by a bolt of lightning on its roof - right up above the pilots' heads.

The powerful force of nature passed right through the body of the Airbus A380 before shooting out and continuing its journey to the ground.

Surprisingly, the Emirate flight from Dubai landed safely just minutes later without a scratch - and none of its 500 passengers hurt.

The incident was caught on camera last month by photographer Chris Dawson in south west London.

He told the Daily Mail: 'I saw the storm clouds gathering and I thought the conditions would be perfect for a lightning strike.'

David Learmont, operations and safety editor of website Flightglobal, explained why the aircraft escaped unscathed.

'Planes get hit by lightning several times a year,' he said. 'They act as a conductor. Getting a good strike like this can look very dramatic but it might not make any impact.

'Manufacturers must make aircraft capable of withstanding a lightning strike and protecting those inside.

'It means the plane's body must contain metal so it can act as a conductor, allowing the electricity to pass through it.

'If it didn't have the metal, the plane could explode when hit.'

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