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Travellers feared their lives were in danger when a passenger plane was jolted by a lightning strike as it flew through a storm near the US east coast.

Shaken passengers said a loud thud and bright flash of light were followed by a burning odour aboard their United Airlines flight when the frightening incident occurred Monday night.

After the lightning strike, the captain decided to abort the journey and make an emergency landing in Columbia, South Carolina, as a precaution. 

Electrifying: A United Airlines plane was struck by lightning as it travelled from Chicago to Charleston

Flight 4613 was carrying nearly 50 passengers and crew as it travelled from Chicago to Charleston, South Carolina.

Passenger Brian Cooper told WCSC: 'It was definitely scary. We all knew that it was lightning.

'There was a bright flash of lightning that jolted the plane. I think most of us felt it, then definitely smelled some burning.' 

Despite the odour, passengers said they didn't see flames or smoke aboard the Embraer ERJ-145XR.

After the plane diverted to Columbia Metropolitan Airport, it was inspected by technicians who found that the plane's air conditioning unit had been damaged.

People on board the plane, similar to the one pictured, said a flash of light was followed by a burning odour

Because the airline decided to ground the plane for repairs, passengers were forced to complete the rest of their journey to Charleston with a coach ride that lasted more than two hours.

John Cane, a former Marine Corps harrier pilot who now runs his own aviation investigation firm, said lightning strikes are rare and passengers should not feel unsafe, even though they are capable of disrupting a plane's instruments.

He told WCBD: 'In all likelihood it's not going to knock the aeroplane out of the sky.'

Perfect timing: A cargo plane was struck by lightning near Leipzig, Germany in August 

Photographer Birk Mobius captured one of those rare moments in August when a cargo plane was struck by lightning near Leipzig, Germany.

Mr Mobius' once-in-a-lifetime photo, taken from the ground at a small airfield, shows a streak of lightning hitting one end of the plane and shooting out of the other end.

The lightning bolt continues to the ground with a rainbow in the background.

The cargo plane continued its journey to Frankfurt, where it landed safely.