Narrative:

Iad-sfo; approximately 4000' on the quiet bridge approach, last 8 mins of the trip; sun had set, but there was still a little light left; final descent checklist complete; first officer flying. We had popped out of the clouds a few mins earlier and were flying through some scattered virga. Suddenly, we saw a bright flash just below the first officer's windshield, followed by a loud bang (about as loud as a gunshot). We were startled and temporarily blinded, and we muttered a few expletives. After approximately 2 seconds, I got my vision back, seeing everything in red. The captain asked if everyone was alright. We said yes. I scanned my panel, everything looked okay, and I so stated. The first officer asked, 'hey, did I lose some engines?' engine #1 and #3 N1's were indicating zero, but egts, N2's and efs were normal. The captain said 'everythings okay, just take her on in.' I again scanned my panel this time noticing #2 fuel indicator had increased by 35000 pounds, saw everything was still okay, and told them 'the only oddness back here is #2 fuel gauge reading high, everything else is okay.' I reset the #1 and #3 N1 cbs but it didn't help. The first officer still seemed a little nervous, but the aircraft was flying normally, the captain again said, 'everything is okay, we're okay, let's get this thing on the ground.' he then told the passenger everything was fine, we had experienced a static discharge. He then asked us 'that seemed more like a lightening strike, didn't it?' after a moments thought, the first officer and I agreed. We all realized we saw a single bolt a split second before the actual flash. The captain then advised ATC of the strike. The time from the strike to advising ATC took less than 2 mins. The first officer kept the aircraft on profile the entire time. After advising ATC, we pushed the incident out of our minds and concentrated on the rest of the approach and landing. Everything then went as though it never happened, with the proper callouts and ATC procedures. After blocking in we discussed what happened. We realized we could have looked for an irregular checklist (loss of N1 indication), but didn't have enough time, since getting the aircraft on the ground was a top priority. The first officer said he could have made it to the airport if we had lost engines. A jumpseat commuter pilot told us he was very impressed with the way we controled the situation, and the way we kept our 'cool' and our sense of humor. We laughed since none of us felt very 'cool' at the time. We inspected the nose, but were surprised to find no damage. This was by far, the best clear experience I've had. As a crew, we all got along extremely well during the 4 day trip, feeling very comfortable with each other. The captain maintained an open environment from the start. No one was afraid to ever speak up, no one was proud, and we all looked out for each other. When confronted with an unusual situation, we were able to handle it in a safe and efficient manner west/O bruising egos.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB EXPERIENCES LIGHTING STRIKE ON APCH TO SFO.

Narrative: IAD-SFO; APPROX 4000' ON THE QUIET BRIDGE APCH, LAST 8 MINS OF THE TRIP; SUN HAD SET, BUT THERE WAS STILL A LITTLE LIGHT LEFT; FINAL DSNT CHKLIST COMPLETE; F/O FLYING. WE HAD POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUDS A FEW MINS EARLIER AND WERE FLYING THROUGH SOME SCATTERED VIRGA. SUDDENLY, WE SAW A BRIGHT FLASH JUST BELOW THE F/O'S WINDSHIELD, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG (ABOUT AS LOUD AS A GUNSHOT). WE WERE STARTLED AND TEMPORARILY BLINDED, AND WE MUTTERED A FEW EXPLETIVES. AFTER APPROX 2 SECS, I GOT MY VISION BACK, SEEING EVERYTHING IN RED. THE CAPT ASKED IF EVERYONE WAS ALRIGHT. WE SAID YES. I SCANNED MY PANEL, EVERYTHING LOOKED OKAY, AND I SO STATED. THE F/O ASKED, 'HEY, DID I LOSE SOME ENGS?' ENG #1 AND #3 N1'S WERE INDICATING ZERO, BUT EGTS, N2'S AND EFS WERE NORMAL. THE CAPT SAID 'EVERYTHINGS OKAY, JUST TAKE HER ON IN.' I AGAIN SCANNED MY PANEL THIS TIME NOTICING #2 FUEL INDICATOR HAD INCREASED BY 35000 LBS, SAW EVERYTHING WAS STILL OKAY, AND TOLD THEM 'THE ONLY ODDNESS BACK HERE IS #2 FUEL GAUGE READING HIGH, EVERYTHING ELSE IS OKAY.' I RESET THE #1 AND #3 N1 CBS BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. THE F/O STILL SEEMED A LITTLE NERVOUS, BUT THE ACFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY, THE CAPT AGAIN SAID, 'EVERYTHING IS OKAY, WE'RE OKAY, LET'S GET THIS THING ON THE GND.' HE THEN TOLD THE PAX EVERYTHING WAS FINE, WE HAD EXPERIENCED A STATIC DISCHARGE. HE THEN ASKED US 'THAT SEEMED MORE LIKE A LIGHTENING STRIKE, DIDN'T IT?' AFTER A MOMENTS THOUGHT, THE F/O AND I AGREED. WE ALL REALIZED WE SAW A SINGLE BOLT A SPLIT SECOND BEFORE THE ACTUAL FLASH. THE CAPT THEN ADVISED ATC OF THE STRIKE. THE TIME FROM THE STRIKE TO ADVISING ATC TOOK LESS THAN 2 MINS. THE F/O KEPT THE ACFT ON PROFILE THE ENTIRE TIME. AFTER ADVISING ATC, WE PUSHED THE INCIDENT OUT OF OUR MINDS AND CONCENTRATED ON THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG. EVERYTHING THEN WENT AS THOUGH IT NEVER HAPPENED, WITH THE PROPER CALLOUTS AND ATC PROCS. AFTER BLOCKING IN WE DISCUSSED WHAT HAPPENED. WE REALIZED WE COULD HAVE LOOKED FOR AN IRREGULAR CHKLIST (LOSS OF N1 INDICATION), BUT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, SINCE GETTING THE ACFT ON THE GND WAS A TOP PRIORITY. THE F/O SAID HE COULD HAVE MADE IT TO THE ARPT IF WE HAD LOST ENGS. A JUMPSEAT COMMUTER PLT TOLD US HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY WE CTLED THE SITUATION, AND THE WAY WE KEPT OUR 'COOL' AND OUR SENSE OF HUMOR. WE LAUGHED SINCE NONE OF US FELT VERY 'COOL' AT THE TIME. WE INSPECTED THE NOSE, BUT WERE SURPRISED TO FIND NO DAMAGE. THIS WAS BY FAR, THE BEST CLR EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD. AS A CREW, WE ALL GOT ALONG EXTREMELY WELL DURING THE 4 DAY TRIP, FEELING VERY COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER. THE CAPT MAINTAINED AN OPEN ENVIRONMENT FROM THE START. NO ONE WAS AFRAID TO EVER SPEAK UP, NO ONE WAS PROUD, AND WE ALL LOOKED OUT FOR EACH OTHER. WHEN CONFRONTED WITH AN UNUSUAL SITUATION, WE WERE ABLE TO HANDLE IT IN A SAFE AND EFFICIENT MANNER W/O BRUISING EGOS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.