Dashcam footage has captured the shocking moment a lightning bolt hit an Airbus Beluga in the air.
The aircraft was struck soon after departing Hawarden Airport in North Wales just after 1pm on Tuesday. The bolt was captured on camera hitting the rear end, before leaving via the nose of the 207-foot XL5 plane, as it flew on Flintshire, North Wales Live reports.
With a wingspan of 197 feet and 10 inches, the Beluga is designed for transporting oversized cargo and can often be seen in the skies over Merseyside. En-route to Hamburg, the aircraft had only been in the air for a short period of time when it was struck as on November 1.
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However, the flight continued as normal and landed safely in the German city shortly after 2.30pm. Glenn Smethurst captured the moment on his NextBase dash camera and shared images online after dozens of people reported hearing a huge "explosion" and seeing a bright white flash.
The XL is an expansion of the original Airbus Beluga and has 35% more storage space. Airbus confirmed the strike and said the aircraft would be thoroughly checked ahead of its next take-off.
A spokesperson said: "At 1pm, Beluga XL5 departing Hawarden Airport was struck by lightning. This is a routine event in aviation and the aircraft continued with its journey to Hamburg as planned. In accordance with standard operating procedure, the aircraft will be inspected before its next flight."
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