THIS is the shocking moment a commercial jet is struck by lightning mid-flight.
Terrifying footage taken by a passenger shows a blinding flash illuminate the cabin, followed by a loud bang.
Those on board can be heard gasping in fright before the cabin quickly fills with nervous laughter.
The scare happened on a flight over Chile on October 20 amid a major weather front that brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to the area.
Despite the lightning strike, the plane landed safely at Santiago International Airport minutes later, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Airline LATAM later confirmed: “Flight LA341, operating the Antofagasta–Santiago route, was struck by lightning during its operation on Tuesday.
“This is a weather phenomenon for which aircraft are designed and certified, and they have systems that allow this type of discharge to be safely dissipated.
“The aircraft landed normally at Santiago Airport and all passengers disembarked safely.”
It added: “The safety of its passengers and crew is a non-negotiable value in all its operations.”
Aviation experts say lightning strikes are relatively common, with commercial planes built to withstand them.
An aircraft’s metal fuselage directs the electrical current along its exterior rather than through the cabin, while special devices on the wings and tail help discharge electricity safely.
On average, each commercial aircraft is struck by lightning around once a year.
Planes are inspected afterwards to check for damage to their structure or electronic systems.
Only two weeks ago, after it was struck by a thunderbolt mid-air.
The jet was travelling at 17,000ft on Wednesday when it was jolted by a flash of during a freak hailstorm.
The sudden blast of electricity caused a “millions-to-one” case of structural damage, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing in northern India.
The aircraft was en route from Patna to Lucknow and touched down safely at its destination eight minutes ahead of schedule.
All 104 passengers and six crew walked away from the scare unhurt.
Shocking images taken after touchdown show the extent of the damage.
The plane’s wrinkled nose cone, or radome, appears pushed inward by the force of the bolt.
The aircraft has been grounded by safety officials and will remain out of service until repair work is completed.
Serious lightning damage to airliners is virtually unheard of and flight controls, sensors and electrical wiring are heavily shielded against electromagnetic surges.
Lightning has not caused a catastrophic crash since December 1963 when Pan AM Flight 214 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia was blown up in mid-air by a lightning bolt.
All 81 people on board – 73 passengers and eight crew members – were killed when the 707 exploded in mid-air.
The disaster led to improvements in modern aircraft design to “lightning proof” aircraft with thicker aluminium skins, anti-static counter-measures and fuel tank protection.
