My father was sitting in the rear seat on a L1011 at O-Hare. The plane had been on the taxiway for 2 hrs waiting to be cleared to take-off because of thunderstorms. Once cleared, the plane began to take off and after breaking ground, began to bank to the left, the lights flickered, and everyones’ hair was standing strait up. Since Dad was an electrical engineer, he knew that the plane had been struck by lightning and told the flight attendant sitting next to him. She couldn’t reply. Her face was white and her lips turned blue, and she went into telling him not to worry and how well built the plane was etc. etc.
Once the plane got to it’s service altitude, the captain came on the intercom and said these two things. “I have good news and I have bad news. The plane behind us said that we had taken a direct hit by lightning and we have lost some rudder response, which explains why those of you on the left side of the plane got a lovely view of West Chicago and those on the right got to see that lovely full moon we have tonight. The good news is that we are still in the air, the bad news is that we have to go back the Chicago for an emergency landing.” It took Chicago another 2 hrs to clear for an emergency landing. The plane landed, was taxied strait to the hangar, and the passengers disembarked. As he was leaving, he watched as a maintenance crewman in a service bucket was sticking his head through an 18” by 6’ split down the vertical stabilizer. Not known for his tact, he pointed this out to the women in front of him, which whom, upon seeing the damage inflicted by the lightning strike, promptly fainted and almost fell down the stairs.
This story was told by a co-worker that was traveling with my dad.
Scott