A MAN has praised Easyjet pilots for keeping calm after the plane he was travelling in was struck by lightning.
Gordon Ritchie was travelling from Edinburgh to Milan on business on Friday, June 30, when the plane was caught up in a lightning storm, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Turin.
It is understood the plane was struck by lightning, with Ritchie describing hearing a loud bang before the lights in the plane went out.
He told the Scotsman: “The aircraft was struck by lightning and there was an electrical failure.
“There was a real bang and all the lights, like the seatbelt signs, went off.
“I knew something had gone wrong from that sound - it sounded strange and everyone was really startled.
READ MORE: Philippa Whitford: Independence is 'key to protecting' NHS in Scotland
“People knew something had happened, but the crew didn’t panic.”
Ritchie said that while the pilots were not able to communicate directly to the passengers after the incident, a steward informed passengers that they were going to Turin instead of Milan.
He added: “They ended up diverting us to Turin which is 120 miles away.
“When we got off the aircraft I asked them if we got hit by lightning and if it was serious, and I was told ‘yes’.
“They said the engineers needed to come and take a look at the plane before they could do anything with it.
“The pilots did a really good job - they looked pretty white afterwards. It was scary but no one was injured and Easyjet dealt with it really well.”
READ MORE: SNP MP doubts Westminster will 'positively' engage if party wins independence mandate
An Easyjet spokesperson said: “We can confirm that flight EJU3834 from Edinburgh to Milan on June 30 diverted to Turin following a lightning strike, as a precaution and in line with procedures.
“The aircraft is equipped to safely withstand lightning and at no point was the safety of the flight compromised.
"The aircraft landed routinely in Turin and we arranged for passengers to continue their journey to Milan by coach.
"The safety of passengers and crew is Easyjet’s highest priority.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel