With a loud bang, struck by lightning mid-flight
Outside the window, snowflakes were falling vigorously from the sky. About 40 minutes into the flight, I thought we had passed the halfway point between Busan and Seoul based on the flight time. Suddenly, the aircraft began to shake, accompanied by a rumbling sound, and lightning started to strike outside the window. It was not the familiar "rain and lightning" scene we often see from the ground but a rare combination of "snow and lightning."
However, the heavy snowfall was not the only spectacle. Seeing lightning strike the ground from the sky was truly different. The aircraft was heavily shaking due to the extremely unstable conditions in the upper atmosphere. Lightning bolts outside the window turned into long-lasting "trails" as they struck the ground, appearing as if I could grasp the "lightning pillars" in my hand and wave them around.
As I was absorbed in watching the lightning, suddenly, with a loud "crack!" sound, one lightning bolt passed right in front of my nose like a streak. Then, the aircraft shook violently. It was one of the lightning strikes hitting our aircraft. It felt like the plane was being torn apart by the impact. The passengers screamed in shock, but soon, silence fell over the cabin. Perhaps everyone was too stunned to speak. In an instant, my heart sank, and I felt numb.
The silence lasted for what felt like 3 to 5 minutes, though it could have been shorter. Inside the cabin, emergency lights turned on, and the stewardess's announcement came through, "Ladies and gentlemen! You must have been startled. Our aircraft was struck by lightning due to adverse weather conditions, but we have safety measures (lightning rods, etc.) in place, and there is no problem with normal operation. We will safely take you to Gimpo Airport." Finally, a collective sigh of relief filled the cabin, and the stewardess's reassuring voice was a welcome comfort.
In the moment of despair, my wife's face flashed before my eyes
During those 3 to 5 minutes of silence, all sorts of thoughts raced through my mind. At first, I couldn't even fathom that we had been struck by lightning. Was it a collision with another plane in the pitch-black darkness of the storm? Had we been hit by a missile launched by Kim Jong-un? Would I ever set foot on solid ground again? The despair of possibly ending my life in such an accident brought forth the image of one person in particular: my wife. The thought of never seeing her again felt incredibly unjust. In that moment, I longed to hear her voice more than anything else. The unwavering bond between spouses became painfully clear in that life-or-death moment. After hearing the reassuring voice of the flight attendant, I switched my phone back on to airplane mode, unable to make any calls but still fiddling with it nervously.
Finally, after a harrowing flight, our aircraft gently touched down on the brightly lit runway of Gimpo Airport. Stepping onto solid ground again, Seoul had transformed into a world of pure white snow. Inside the car on the way to our accommodations, I called my wife.
"Honey, I was struck by lightning on the plane today. Seriously, I was hit by lightning. But since I'm alive, I'm going to buy a lottery ticket today."
"What are you talking about? Struck by lightning?"
Is the probability higher for a hole-in-one in golf? Or for being struck by lightning while flying on a plane?
Continuing from being struck by lightning on the plane and hitting two holes-in-one <11> - part ③
*↓ *↓ *↓ *↓ *↓
비행기서 낙뢰 맞고...홀인원 두 번 한 추억 <11>-②