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An air carrier BAE4100 had a lightning strike. Aircraft damage propeller tip and right wing flap. WX factors multiple thunderstorms in the neighborhood.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 344219 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199608 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sbn |
| State Reference | IN |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Jetstream 41 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3150 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 344219 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While at cruise, we were deviating around an area of level 3-4 radar returns. The airframe sustained a lightning strike. We followed company emergency procedures and the aircraft sustained no apparent structural or system damage. The flight continued uneventful with a landing at stl. Upon inspection on the ground, it was discovered that the strike had entered through one of the right engine propeller blades removing approximately 1/2 inch from the tip, it exited the airframe from the right wing flap approximately mid-span, creating a hole approximately the size of a nickel. A solution to the incident is difficult to recommend. We were adhering to company severe WX avoidance procedures and all indications were that the deviation heading was taking us into an area of lower intensity (level 1-2) precipitation. Obviously maintaining a greater distance from the suspected cell is recommended however the lightning occurred at a distance of at least 10 NM from the cells and in an area of lower intensity.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR BAE4100 HAD A LIGHTNING STRIKE. ACFT DAMAGE PROP TIP AND R WING FLAP. WX FACTORS MULTIPLE TSTMS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE, WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND AN AREA OF LEVEL 3-4 RADAR RETURNS. THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED A LIGHTNING STRIKE. WE FOLLOWED COMPANY EMER PROCS AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED NO APPARENT STRUCTURAL OR SYS DAMAGE. THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFUL WITH A LNDG AT STL. UPON INSPECTION ON THE GND, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE STRIKE HAD ENTERED THROUGH ONE OF THE R ENG PROP BLADES REMOVING APPROX 1/2 INCH FROM THE TIP, IT EXITED THE AIRFRAME FROM THE R WING FLAP APPROX MID-SPAN, CREATING A HOLE APPROX THE SIZE OF A NICKEL. A SOLUTION TO THE INCIDENT IS DIFFICULT TO RECOMMEND. WE WERE ADHERING TO COMPANY SEVERE WX AVOIDANCE PROCS AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE THAT THE DEV HEADING WAS TAKING US INTO AN AREA OF LOWER INTENSITY (LEVEL 1-2) PRECIPITATION. OBVIOUSLY MAINTAINING A GREATER DISTANCE FROM THE SUSPECTED CELL IS RECOMMENDED HOWEVER THE LIGHTNING OCCURRED AT A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 10 NM FROM THE CELLS AND IN AN AREA OF LOWER INTENSITY.
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.