Twelve passengers aboard a Helijet helicopter are thankful to be alive today after their chopper was struck by lightning Tuesday.
On a seemingly routine Tuesday, a commercial helicopter carrying 14 people (including two pilots) embarked on a flight from Vancouver to Victoria.
Little did they know that they would soon find themselves in the midst of a harrowing and rare event, a lightning strike that threatened the safety of all on board.
At an altitude of nearly 4,000 feet, the helicopter was struck by lightning, an occurrence that very few people have experienced.
The experienced pilots at the helm of the aircraft reacted swiftly, ensuring the safety of everyone on board and brought the helicopter to a safe landing in Victoria just minutes after the incident.
Lightning strikes on aircraft are exceedingly rare, but when they do happen, they can be quite terrifying. In this case, the passengers were understandably shaken up by the unexpected event.
The lightning strike did cause some damage to the helicopter. Notably, the tail rotor of the aircraft was affected, and it lost two out of its four rotors.
Additionally, the strike resulted in the loss of the helicopter’s instruments.
As a result of the damage sustained during the lightning strike, the helicopter has been grounded.
The Transportation Safety Board will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
A weather warning was in place for the day stating heavy rains were in the forecast, however, there were no thunderstorms forcasted.
