Medium large transport has lightning strike at cruise. Engine oil pressure alert activates.

Attributes
ACN	275519
Time
Date	199406
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : flo
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zjx
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7460 flight time type : 780
ASRS Report	275519
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	275333
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

While avoiding WX on STAR into clt, accepted numerous radar vectors for sequencing. Although radar indicated no more than light precipitation, experienced lightning strike with immediate oil pressure warning on #1 engine. Reduced power to idle, 'alert' was deactivated, so according to procedure continued with #1 at idle. Due to WX, heavy ATC traffic, and #1 engine problem, declared emergency and was radar vectored for ILS. Landed with single engine flap setting with no undue difficulty. Factors leading up to this incident: traffic overload prohibiting traffic to stay clear of WX returns. Radar gain which can only be increased beyond preset level, but not reduced below preset level. This resulted in a 'saturated' return in which you could not define heavy WX from everything else. EFIS engine gauges which a) do not include oil quantity, B) offer no 'alternate' means to verify gauge accuracy, so more difficult to determine if oil pressure was truly low.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG HAS LIGHTNING STRIKE AT CRUISE. ENG OIL PRESSURE ALERT ACTIVATES.

Narrative: WHILE AVOIDING WX ON STAR INTO CLT, ACCEPTED NUMEROUS RADAR VECTORS FOR SEQUENCING. ALTHOUGH RADAR INDICATED NO MORE THAN LIGHT PRECIPITATION, EXPERIENCED LIGHTNING STRIKE WITH IMMEDIATE OIL PRESSURE WARNING ON #1 ENG. REDUCED PWR TO IDLE, 'ALERT' WAS DEACTIVATED, SO ACCORDING TO PROC CONTINUED WITH #1 AT IDLE. DUE TO WX, HVY ATC TFC, AND #1 ENG PROB, DECLARED EMER AND WAS RADAR VECTORED FOR ILS. LANDED WITH SINGLE ENG FLAP SETTING WITH NO UNDUE DIFFICULTY. FACTORS LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT: TFC OVERLOAD PROHIBITING TFC TO STAY CLR OF WX RETURNS. RADAR GAIN WHICH CAN ONLY BE INCREASED BEYOND PRESET LEVEL, BUT NOT REDUCED BELOW PRESET LEVEL. THIS RESULTED IN A 'SATURATED' RETURN IN WHICH YOU COULD NOT DEFINE HVY WX FROM EVERYTHING ELSE. EFIS ENG GAUGES WHICH A) DO NOT INCLUDE OIL QUANTITY, B) OFFER NO 'ALTERNATE' MEANS TO VERIFY GAUGE ACCURACY, SO MORE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF OIL PRESSURE WAS TRULY LOW.

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.