Plane hit by lightning

A Flybe plane heading for Stornoway was struck by lightning as strong winds and hailstorms battered the region on Tuesday.

Some 23 people, including a young child and the usual complement of three crew, were believed to be onboard the plane which was flying from Glasgow to Stornoway when the incident occurred.

A lightning bolt hit the 20-metre long aircraft, on its port wing, as it approached Stornoway airport mid-afternoon.

The Saab 340 plane - which flies in Flybe colours but is owned and operated by Loganair - safely landed on the runway, on time around 3pm and without any problem.

No-one onboard was injured.

Airline Loganair confirmed the incident which resulted in the return flight being cancelled while the plane remained on the ground at Stornoway for checks.

Mainland-bound passengers with tickets for the 3.30pm flight to Glasgow were delayed until the evening.

A spokesman said: “The Stornoway Glasgow service was struck by lightning, which meant the aircraft required a thorough inspection and could not operate the return service.

“Passengers were moved to the later service.”

Lightning strikes to aircraft are fairly common, usually when a jet is passing through cumulonimbus clouds.

Island-bound plane hit by lightning

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