A Qantas plane has narrowly missed a lightning bolt in a terrifying encounter caught on video footage.
The plane, flying over Sydney, has been captured by a reporter and storm-chaser in the midst of the electric skies.
Cameraman Daniel Shaw uploaded the footage to YouTube whilst describing the moment as a “close call” for the jet, pictured traveling close to giant forks of lightning.
The lightning bolt narrowly misses the plane
Storms are currently brewing over the city and the Bureau of Meteorology has warned that heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding, large hailstones and damaging winds across the area.
Despite concerns of a "close call" for the aircraft, if the plane was hit by the thunderous bolt, it's unlikely that the consequences would have been fatal.
The passengers on the Qantas flight may have had quite a shock if the bolt had struck though, with the flash taking over the cabin and loud noise overhead.
Research into the effect of lighting on commercial airplanes was carried out in 2006 and it found that because of numerous enhancements in protection techniques, the safety of most designs will protect them against the weather.
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The modern vehicles of the sky are routinely safe in these circumstances, as most aircraft bodies are built up using aluminum, which conducts electricity well.
During experiments by Scientific American in 2006, if no gaps exist in its conductive path, most of the lightning current will remain on the exterior of the aircraft.
The last confirmed commercial plane crash in the U.S. directly attributed to lightning occurred in 1967, when lightning caused a catastrophic fuel tank explosion.