Narrative:

A normal pre-dawn preflight of aircraft, a B737-400, was accomplished prior to departure from abe on dec/xa/00. The flight to orlando was normal, in clear air (VFR). During the daily check in orlando, maintenance personnel on duty found evidence of lightning strike damage, ie, rivets on skin. Later they found a hole on tip of tail. The aircraft was grounded for further inspection and repair analysis. The aircraft apparently had incurred strike damage sometime previous to our flight to orlando. The lightning strike damage was nearly impossible to detect in darkness during a normal aircraft preflight. Only during daylight hours, and then only when you know what to look for, would one be able to determine that there had been strike damage to the aircraft. I recommend that training department over this topic during adverse WX training, keeping in mind that a lightning strike could occur in-flight and the crew may be unaware that damage had occurred. Further, they may not even realize that there had been lightning strikes on the aircraft during the flight phase. I will submit to the training department of this airline that specific mention be made of what exactly strike damage can look like (other than the obvious).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 INCURRED DAMAGE FROM A LIGHTNING STRIKE WITH THE EVENT NOT NOTED OR DETECTED DURING THE PREDAWN HRS AT ABE UNTIL AFTER THE FLT HAD ARRIVED AT MCO, FL.

Narrative: A NORMAL PRE-DAWN PREFLT OF ACFT, A B737-400, WAS ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO DEP FROM ABE ON DEC/XA/00. THE FLT TO ORLANDO WAS NORMAL, IN CLR AIR (VFR). DURING THE DAILY CHK IN ORLANDO, MAINT PERSONNEL ON DUTY FOUND EVIDENCE OF LIGHTNING STRIKE DAMAGE, IE, RIVETS ON SKIN. LATER THEY FOUND A HOLE ON TIP OF TAIL. THE ACFT WAS GNDED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND REPAIR ANALYSIS. THE ACFT APPARENTLY HAD INCURRED STRIKE DAMAGE SOMETIME PREVIOUS TO OUR FLT TO ORLANDO. THE LIGHTNING STRIKE DAMAGE WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETECT IN DARKNESS DURING A NORMAL ACFT PREFLT. ONLY DURING DAYLIGHT HRS, AND THEN ONLY WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR, WOULD ONE BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THERE HAD BEEN STRIKE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I RECOMMEND THAT TRAINING DEPT OVER THIS TOPIC DURING ADVERSE WX TRAINING, KEEPING IN MIND THAT A LIGHTNING STRIKE COULD OCCUR INFLT AND THE CREW MAY BE UNAWARE THAT DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED. FURTHER, THEY MAY NOT EVEN REALIZE THAT THERE HAD BEEN LIGHTNING STRIKES ON THE ACFT DURING THE FLT PHASE. I WILL SUBMIT TO THE TRAINING DEPT OF THIS AIRLINE THAT SPECIFIC MENTION BE MADE OF WHAT EXACTLY STRIKE DAMAGE CAN LOOK LIKE (OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS).

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.