37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 402399 |
Time | |
Date | 199805 |
Day | Wed |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : vny |
State Reference | CA |
Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | IMC |
Light | Dawn |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | SF 340B |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
Navigation In Use | Other |
Flight Phase | descent other |
Route In Use | arrival star : star enroute airway : bur |
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 : 150 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 800 |
ASRS Report | 402399 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable |
Consequence | other Other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
On may/xa/98 while returning to lax from fat, we were struck by lightning approximately 2 NM northwest of darts intersection. We were descending from 8000 ft to 6000 ft and were struck at approximately 7000 ft. Shortly thereafter, several buses lost power due to both generators going off-line. We lost all EFIS tubes and the standby ADI was suspect. Nevertheless, we were able to maintain directional control. I continued to fly the aircraft while the captain went to memory items and the QRH in an attempt to restore power and instruments. We notified ATC of the problem and were subsequently vectored to VMC conditions and then lax. The rest of the approach and landing were uneventful. What was surprising to the captain and I was that although the WX radar was on and functioning correctly it failed to depict any convective activity. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft incurred extensive damage from the lightning strike in addition to the generators dropping off the line. The reporter said at one point in time the only electrical power was the emergency battery pack powering the standby gyro and #1 communication unit. The reporter said the captain worked on restoring both generators to the line while the reporter flew the aircraft. The reporter stated maintenance replaced the following components, all glass cathode ray instruments due to the phosphorous coating burned off, all antennas, bonding wires and the main ship's battery. The reporter stated some electrical units were replaced that may have controled the left and right generator buses.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A SAAB 340B ON DSCNT AT 7000 FT EXPERIENCED A LIGHTNING STRIKE CAUSING BOTH GENERATORS TO DROP OFF THE LINE WITH NO IMMEDIATE RESET. FLT OPERATED WITH STANDBY BUS PWRING 1 STANDBY GYRO AND #1 COM.
Narrative: ON MAY/XA/98 WHILE RETURNING TO LAX FROM FAT, WE WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING APPROX 2 NM NW OF DARTS INTXN. WE WERE DSNDING FROM 8000 FT TO 6000 FT AND WERE STRUCK AT APPROX 7000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SEVERAL BUSES LOST PWR DUE TO BOTH GENERATORS GOING OFF-LINE. WE LOST ALL EFIS TUBES AND THE STANDBY ADI WAS SUSPECT. NEVERTHELESS, WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT WHILE THE CAPT WENT TO MEMORY ITEMS AND THE QRH IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE PWR AND INSTS. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF THE PROB AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY VECTORED TO VMC CONDITIONS AND THEN LAX. THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. WHAT WAS SURPRISING TO THE CAPT AND I WAS THAT ALTHOUGH THE WX RADAR WAS ON AND FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY IT FAILED TO DEPICT ANY CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT INCURRED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE FROM THE LIGHTNING STRIKE IN ADDITION TO THE GENERATORS DROPPING OFF THE LINE. THE RPTR SAID AT ONE POINT IN TIME THE ONLY ELECTRICAL PWR WAS THE EMER BATTERY PACK POWERING THE STANDBY GYRO AND #1 COM UNIT. THE RPTR SAID THE CAPT WORKED ON RESTORING BOTH GENERATORS TO THE LINE WHILE THE RPTR FLEW THE ACFT. THE RPTR STATED MAINT REPLACED THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS, ALL GLASS CATHODE RAY INSTS DUE TO THE PHOSPHOROUS COATING BURNED OFF, ALL ANTENNAS, BONDING WIRES AND THE MAIN SHIP'S BATTERY. THE RPTR STATED SOME ELECTRICAL UNITS WERE REPLACED THAT MAY HAVE CTLED THE L AND R GENERATOR BUSES.
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.