Summary

  • British Airways flight BA919 from Stuttgart to London Heathrow was struck by lightning, diverting to London Gatwick.
  • No injuries reported; passengers transferred to buses for the remaining journey to Heathrow.
  • Aircraft G-EUYM, a 13-year-old Airbus A320, continued operations after a nearly six-hour apron stay at Gatwick.

Passengers onboard a Sunday British Airways flight from Stuttgart to London Heathrow were unexpectedly diverted to London Gatwick after the Airbus A320 transporting them was struck by lightning. While it is common for an aircraft to be struck by lightning once or twice a year, the crew always takes the utmost precaution when it happens and looks to land the aircraft quickly for the safety of passengers and crew.

On this occasion, no passenger or crew injuries were recorded, and the aircraft landed safely at the South London airport around an hour after its expected arrival in the British capital, albeit 39 miles, or an hour by road, from its intended destination. Upon arrival at Gatwick, passengers disembarked from the aircraft and boarded a bus to London Heathrow (LHR) airport.

British Airways Airbus A320 Landing In Sunny Conditions

Photo: Mariusz Klarowicz | Shutterstock

Simultaneously, a post on X (formally Twitter) by justanother_ben alleged that his flight was also struck by lightning; however, to which flight Ben was on remains unclear.

BA919 flight details

Oneworld member British Airways operates a daily service between the south-west German city of Stuttgart, located in the Baden-Württemberg state. It is home to the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz and Porche.

ba919

On Sunday, July 8, BA919 was expected to depart Stuttgart Airport (formerly Flughafen Stuttgart-Echterdingen) at 12:55; however, it was only pushed back to 13:38. The aircraft took off in a westerly direction before turning north-west to head towards its intended destination. The Airbus A320 climbed to its cruising altitude of 36,000 feet before passing over the north of Luxembourg and across Belgium before going towards the United Kingdom.

While it remains unclear at what exact point the aircraft was struck by lightning, the aircraft descended to as low as 3,600 feet over the skies of London and did look to be destined for London Heathrow on Flightradar24. However, it was decided for the aircraft to divert to London Gatwick (LGW), located South of London. The aircraft then climbed to around 6,000 feet before touching down at Gatwick and landing at 14:24 local time, almost an hour behind its intended arrival time of 13:40 and a different airport. The aircraft remained on the apron at Gatwick for nearly six hours before being re-positioned at Heathrow at 20:23. They resumed scheduled operations the following morning with an ‘uneventful’ rotation to Stuttgart and Marseille.

Related

What Happens When A Plane Is Struck By Lightning?

A mid-flight lightning strike can be terrifying.

The aircraft struck was G-EUYM, a 13-year-old Airbus A320 aircraft that, according to ch-Aviation, an online aviation database, first flew under test registration F-WWIB on July 15, 2011, before being delivered to British Airways on August 5, 2011. The aircraft has serial number 4791 and is powered by two IAE V2527-A5 engines.


  • British Airways Tile

    British Airways

    IATA/ICAO Code:
    BA/BAW

    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier

    Hub(s):
    London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport

    Year Founded:
    1974

    Alliance:
    oneworld

    Airline Group:
    IAG

    CEO:
    Sean Doyle

    Country:
    United Kingdom

    Loyalty Program:
    British Airways Executive Club

    Region:
    Europe

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