Had one way back in 99 or 2000..... aborted after the fact....

Taking off from IAD enroute to LAX, in the climbout, lightning strikes the fuselage directly above my seat - bulkhead, first class, starboard window.... sparks popping around the outside (can't remember the physics as to why, but it always happens)... even sparks on the inside....

The aircraft seemed to pause for a millisecond.... almost suspended in air - not really what I would call moving forward.... or so it seemed....

I would have thought you would have heard screams... rather, you could have heard a pin drop.... kind of a stunned silence... one of those "so this is where I am going to buy it" moments....

After a few moments, the captain comes on say "As you probably guessed, we just got struck by lightning... and all of the systems seem to check out... but it is a long way to go to Los Angeles.... so I am going to put it back down and we will take another plane to LA.... unfortunately, ATC can not get us back into Dulles, so we are going to have to put down at National..." (I suspect there was more of a problem than he let on...)

I will have to say that a fully loaded 757, full of fuel... landing at National... was... an experience.... to say that the nose was digging a trench in the runway is an understatement....

I looked at the burn mark on the skin, about 2 feet from my head....

Funny thing is that during the 3 hour wait for another plane, some of the passengers started loudly complaining....

I reminded them that it is a good thing that the pilot did what he did so that you would still be capable of complaining.... geeez....

That was one of those... make a diamond out of coal.... moments....