MD80 crew had a lightning strike in iad class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	493573
Time
Date	200011
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ldn.vortac
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Rain Thunderstorm other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	493573
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	493572
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Emergency landing due smoke in cabin. Normal south departure runway 19 in light rain winds 210 degrees at 8 KTS climbing through 9000-10000 ft with anti-ice on and radar showing only light rain with small pockets of moderate precipitation. St elmos fire appeared on both windscreens followed shortly by a bright flash of lightning off the left side of the aircraft with a muffled rumble and a minor airframe bump. There were no indications of any electrical problems with the aircraft. Soon after the discharge, I began to smell hot electrical wires and the flight attendant call sounded and the #1 flight attendant reported smoke from the overhead fluorescent light. Suspecting a ballast fire, I asked her to turn off the lights and keep me advised. Shortly after she reported the smoke dissipating, moments later she reported smoke was increasing in the coach cabin. I then declared an emergency, requested fire support and vectors to dulles. On 22 mi final to runway 19R, the flight attendants reported the ceiling in coach was melting and they were using the fire extinguishers. At this time I advised the #1 flight attendant that we would be evacing on the runway. She was advised to prepare the passenger as time permitted. Tower and crash fire rescue equipment was advised of our plan as well. Full flap landing normal. Aircraft was stopped on runway centerline and evacuate/evacuation was initiated via slides and overwing exits. Flight attendants did excellent job. There were no injuries of any kind among our crew.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD A LIGHTNING STRIKE IN IAD CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: EMER LNDG DUE SMOKE IN CABIN. NORMAL S DEP RWY 19 IN LIGHT RAIN WINDS 210 DEGS AT 8 KTS CLBING THROUGH 9000-10000 FT WITH ANTI-ICE ON AND RADAR SHOWING ONLY LIGHT RAIN WITH SMALL POCKETS OF MODERATE PRECIP. ST ELMOS FIRE APPEARED ON BOTH WINDSCREENS FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY A BRIGHT FLASH OF LIGHTNING OFF THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT WITH A MUFFLED RUMBLE AND A MINOR AIRFRAME BUMP. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY ELECTRICAL PROBS WITH THE ACFT. SOON AFTER THE DISCHARGE, I BEGAN TO SMELL HOT ELECTRICAL WIRES AND THE FLT ATTENDANT CALL SOUNDED AND THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED SMOKE FROM THE OVERHEAD FLUORESCENT LIGHT. SUSPECTING A BALLAST FIRE, I ASKED HER TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND KEEP ME ADVISED. SHORTLY AFTER SHE RPTED THE SMOKE DISSIPATING, MOMENTS LATER SHE RPTED SMOKE WAS INCREASING IN THE COACH CABIN. I THEN DECLARED AN EMER, REQUESTED FIRE SUPPORT AND VECTORS TO DULLES. ON 22 MI FINAL TO RWY 19R, THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THE CEILING IN COACH WAS MELTING AND THEY WERE USING THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. AT THIS TIME I ADVISED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT THAT WE WOULD BE EVACING ON THE RWY. SHE WAS ADVISED TO PREPARE THE PAX AS TIME PERMITTED. TWR AND CFR WAS ADVISED OF OUR PLAN AS WELL. FULL FLAP LNDG NORMAL. ACFT WAS STOPPED ON RWY CTRLINE AND EVAC WAS INITIATED VIA SLIDES AND OVERWING EXITS. FLT ATTENDANTS DID EXCELLENT JOB. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OF ANY KIND AMONG OUR CREW.

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.