AN AIRCRAFT almost had to make an emergency landing at Southampton Airport after it flew into a thunderstorm.

The flight, carrying 69 passengers, was on its way from Guernsey to Manchester yesterday morning when it encountered difficulties as it flew over the Isle of Wight.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said that the plane's crew had reported it had been "lightning strike" which had "damaged electrical equipment".

NATS said the plane had been on course to divert to land at Southampton Airport after the incident, which took place at around 8.30am.

However this would have meant "flying further into the storm at that time" and the plane instead returned to Guernsey.

Engineers who examined the plane, belonging to airline Aurigny, said it did "not believe it was actually struck by lightning".

A spokesman for the airline said although the flight did encounter a thunderstorm they did not believe it had been hit.

He said the aircraft had been checked "as a precaution" but there was "no damage".

Guernsey Airport confirmed the GR670 aircraft landed without incident and passengers were transferred to another airline.