Lightning hits plane - three times

A cool-headed pilot has steered his fully-loaded Boeing 737 through three massive lightning bolts.

London's Daily Mail reports the KLM flight, from Amsterdam to Birmingham, was struck by lightning just prior to landing approach on Friday afternoon.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you may have noticed we were hit by lightning," the captain announced after landing smoothly and safely at Birmingham Airport.

A woman photographing the storm caught a picture of one lightning bolt striking the plane.

Tracy Meakin White, who is not a professional photographer, said the snapshot was "just a stroke of luck".

" didn't even see the plane at first, I was just clicking on my phone and then afterwards I saw the aircraft," the 42-year-old told the Mail. "I think it is a once in a lifetime picture, I doubt I will see anything like that again."

Passengers told the Daily Mail about the "massive bang" that shook their aircraft as one of the bolts hit.

Tony Everitt, who was one of 174 passengers on board, described the experience as incredible.

"There was one massive bang. Only moments before, I'd noticed the dark skies and told a passenger sitting next to me that I was surprised there was no thunder and lightning," the 51-year-old businessman told the Daily Mail. "After the bang, my initial thought was the engine had blown-up. Surprisingly, it wasn't frightening, it was exciting.

"You are waiting for something else to happen, then you realise nothing has gone wrong."