Lightning strikes Delta plane on Atlanta runway (scary video)

The terrifying moment a bolt of lightning struck a Delta Airlines plane on the runway in Atlanta has been caught on camera.

The lightning can be seen striking the plane at the back, near the tail.

There were 117 people on the plane at the time, but no injuries were reported.

See also: 15 flights we're glad we weren't on

According to the Daily Telegraph, traveller Jack Perkins managed to capture the scene on video after his own flight was cancelled due to bad weather, and he wanted to show his wife exactly how terrible the conditions were.

The Metro reports that Jack uploaded the footage to YouTube and wrote: "While filming the line of planes all stacked up during a ground hold in Atlanta on 8/18/15 I happened to capture this direct lightning strike on a 737.'

Users commented on the footage, with one joking: "Folks, we'll be returning to the gate due to, ah, technical difficulties."

Another mused: "Is the lightning okay?", while one said simply: "Electrifying!"

One user even claimed to be on the plane at the time, and wrote: "I was on that plane and when it got hit it kind of jerked forward a bit and the under carriage like warmed up a bit, we had to go back to the gate because the plane lost power to everything, it was a scary feeling you could actually feel it being hit. I wonder what everyone was saying on all the other planes, I bet they were terrified. I'll tell you that I was."

However, another user disputed this claim, writing: "What you described is basically impossible. 1. How would you feel the undercarriage warm up if you're sitting inside?

"2. There would be an investigation if you "lost power to everything" because that's pretty serious. I also didn't know lightning had the capability to shut down 2 engines. There's definitely nothing on the Aviation Herald (Aircraft incidents website) talking about a complete loss of electrical systems and dual engine failure while taxiing.

"3. There would be major congestion issues if your plane lost all electrics, which would be reported somewhere. They'd have to get a tug out and pull you back to the gate which would mean all the planes waiting to takeoff would have to be moved out of the way, causing huge delays."

Either way, the lightning was pretty impressive, right?

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