- Air New Zealand flight NZ433 turned back to Auckland after lightning bolt
- The flight landed back in Auckland at 5.30pm local time on Sunday afternoon
- Passengers described the moment the lightning hit as a ‘nightmare’
- The aircraft will undergo engineering checks before returning to service
- Flight NZ433 was bound for Wellington
Passengers on board an Air New Zealand flight have described the moment their plane was hit by lightning as a ‘nightmare’.
Air New Zealand flight NZ433 was forced to turn back to Auckland on Sunday afternoon after a bolt of lightning hit the aircraft.
The airline confirmed that the plane bound for Wellington returned to Auckland, touching down at 5.30pm local time, as a ‘precautionary measure’.
The moment a bolt of lightning struck Air New Zealand flight NZ433 shortly after departing from Auckland on Sunday
The flight, travelling to Wellington, returned to Auckland airport at 5.30pm local time
A passenger told Fairfax media the lightning strike was ‘something aerophobia nightmares are made of’.
‘When the lightning hit everyone screamed, the light ripped through the aircraft,’ the passenger said.
Passengers were put on later flights and the aircraft was set to undergo engineering checks before returning to service.
Flight NZ433 was forced to turn back to Auckland on Sunday afternoon after a bolt of lightning hit the aircraft (stock image)
The plane was struck shortly after take off.
A spokeswoman for Air New Zealand said: ‘The aircraft will undergo standard engineering checks before returning to service.’
‘Lightning strikes are not uncommon and aircraft are designed with this in mind.’