Falling from the Sky

On 24 June 1982, British Airways Flight 9 experiences St. Elmo's fire en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Perth, Australia. A few minutes later, all four engines flame out. The St. Elmo's fire and engine flame-outs were caused by volcanic ash spewed by Galunggung in Indonesia during a major eruption. St. Elmo's fire is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object such as the leading edges of airplanes, as in the case of British Airways Flight 9.