A British Airways pilot who was struck in the chest by lightning at the controls of a packed passenger jet said today: "I was most surprised."

Richard Adcock, 45, was 5,000ft above Amsterdam when he saw an almighty flash, heard a crackling noise and felt a tremendous thud in his chest.

Senior First Officer Mr Adcock, of Mannings Heath, near Horsham, was touching the windscreen when the bolt struck.

A surge of electricity drilled a hole the size of a five pence piece in his chest.

The captain, who temporarily lost all feeling in his right arm, managed to hand the controls of his Boeing 757, with 160 passengers aboard, to co-pilot, Mike Tarry, 55, who landed safely at Schiphol airport.

The drama unfolded during a flight from Heathrow to Amsterdam at about 12.25 on October 10.

A report issued by the Department of Transport's Air Accident Investigation Department said the pilot felt as if he had been kicked in the chest. After landing the plane he was taken for a medical examination which revealed a burn wound in his chest consistent with an electrical charge.

Mr Adcock, who has 16,300 hours' flying experience, returned to his duties two weeks later but has subsequently developed a medical condition that may be a consequence of the incident.

His flying licence has been temporarily suspended but he is undergoing another medical check on February 28 and could be flying again in March.

Mr Adcock said: "I was trying to avoid the weather when there was a flash. It was a freak accident."