An embraer 145 on descent at 10000 ft encountered a lightning strike incurring extensive damage. Cap...

Attributes
ACN	582118
Time
Date	200305
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain other
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	582118
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During descent for landing with no indication of convective activity on our radar, we encountered a lightning strike.(these aircraft encounter unreasonable numbers of lightning strikes with no warning of hazardous conditions). We noted several malfunctions after the occurrence, but within seconds after the incident our descent took us below the cloud layers. I evaluated the malfunctions and determined the safest course of action to be landing the aircraft at our destination without delay. We held all abnormal checklist until on the ground and landed without further incident. The first officer later reported seeing the rails under my seat glowing orange! We also noted damage to the aircraft logbook which is an aluminum binder. These aircraft are abnormally prone to lighting strikes and I hope that one day it can be resolved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the damage to the airplane was extensive and as of this date it is still out of service. The reporter said the lightening hit the airplane on the right nose gear door and exited off the tail. The reporter stated the effects were immediately noted in the radio communications, radio navigation equipment and flight instruments. The reporter said the first officer noticed the capts seat rails glowing orange and the aluminum logbook binder was damaged. The reporter stated that on the ground during the lightening strike inspection, it was discovered the nose and main landing gear struts were magnetized, the engine fire bottles were discharged and the pitch trim system was fried. The reporter said out of a fleet of xx airplanes 7 airplanes had lightning strikes in one week. The reporter stated the propensity for lightning strikes on this airplane is of great concern to crews since the engines are equipped with full authority digital electronic control. The reporter said the only action taken by the company is to issue a lightning strike form to be filled out by the crews after a lightning strike occurs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 145 ON DSCNT AT 10000 FT ENCOUNTERED A LIGHTNING STRIKE INCURRING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. CAPT RPTS PROPENSITY OF ACFT TO LIGHTNING STRIKES.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT FOR LNDG WITH NO INDICATION OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ON OUR RADAR, WE ENCOUNTERED A LIGHTNING STRIKE.(THESE ACFT ENCOUNTER UNREASONABLE NUMBERS OF LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH NO WARNING OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS). WE NOTED SEVERAL MALFUNCTIONS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE, BUT WITHIN SECONDS AFTER THE INCIDENT OUR DSCNT TOOK US BELOW THE CLOUD LAYERS. I EVALUATED THE MALFUNCTIONS AND DETERMINED THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION TO BE LNDG THE ACFT AT OUR DESTINATION WITHOUT DELAY. WE HELD ALL ABNORMAL CHKLIST UNTIL ON THE GND AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE FO LATER RPTED SEEING THE RAILS UNDER MY SEAT GLOWING ORANGE! WE ALSO NOTED DAMAGE TO THE ACFT LOGBOOK WHICH IS AN ALUMINUM BINDER. THESE ACFT ARE ABNORMALLY PRONE TO LIGHTING STRIKES AND I HOPE THAT ONE DAY IT CAN BE RESOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS EXTENSIVE AND AS OF THIS DATE IT IS STILL OUT OF SVC. THE RPTR SAID THE LIGHTENING HIT THE AIRPLANE ON THE RIGHT NOSE GEAR DOOR AND EXITED OFF THE TAIL. THE RPTR STATED THE EFFECTS WERE IMMEDIATELY NOTED IN THE RADIO COMS, RADIO NAVIGATION EQUIP AND FLT INSTRUMENTS. THE RPTR SAID THE FO NOTICED THE CAPTS SEAT RAILS GLOWING ORANGE AND THE ALUMINUM LOGBOOK BINDER WAS DAMAGED. THE RPTR STATED THAT ON THE GND DURING THE LIGHTENING STRIKE INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE NOSE AND MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUTS WERE MAGNETIZED, THE ENG FIRE BOTTLES WERE DISCHARGED AND THE PITCH TRIM SYS WAS FRIED. THE RPTR SAID OUT OF A FLEET OF XX AIRPLANES 7 AIRPLANES HAD LIGHTNING STRIKES IN ONE WEEK. THE RPTR STATED THE PROPENSITY FOR LIGHTNING STRIKES ON THIS AIRPLANE IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO CREWS SINCE THE ENGS ARE EQUIPPED WITH FULL AUTHORITY DIGITAL ELECTRONIC CTL. THE RPTR SAID THE ONLY ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMPANY IS TO ISSUE A LIGHTNING STRIKE FORM TO BE FILLED OUT BY THE CREWS AFTER A LIGHTNING STRIKE OCCURS.

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.

An embraer 145 on descent at 10000 ft encountered a lightning strike incurring extensive damage. Captain reports propensity of aircraft to lightning strikes.