A320 flight crew encounters WX; a lightning strike and bird strike during approach for landing at or...

Attributes
ACN	698258
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 8500
Environment
Weather Elements	Turbulence Rain Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	598258
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : birds inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor Weather
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Lightning strike/bird strike. While getting vectored for approach; we believe that we experienced a lightning strike to the aircraft. We were in light to moderate rain with light turbulence and clear of all red radar returns when we saw a lightning bolt moving through the cloud in front of us that appeared to enter the aircraft's nose on the r-hand side. Simultaneously; we heard a loud bang. We did not experience any radio anomalies and all gauges continued to indicate normally. After landing; several passenger in the aft cabin on the aircraft right reported seeing flashes of fire (sparks) coming from the right wing. Some even said there was a burn mark on the top of the wing. We completed an exterior postflt inspection and did not find any areas of damage from lightning strike. We found the black mark on top of the #4 spoiler panel on the r-hand side to be remains of a bird. We had no indications of hitting a bird other than the remains discovered on the postflt inspection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS WX; A LIGHTNING STRIKE AND BIRD STRIKE DURING APCH FOR LNDG AT ORD.

Narrative: LIGHTNING STRIKE/BIRD STRIKE. WHILE GETTING VECTORED FOR APCH; WE BELIEVE THAT WE EXPERIENCED A LIGHTNING STRIKE TO THE ACFT. WE WERE IN LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WITH LIGHT TURB AND CLR OF ALL RED RADAR RETURNS WHEN WE SAW A LIGHTNING BOLT MOVING THROUGH THE CLOUD IN FRONT OF US THAT APPEARED TO ENTER THE ACFT'S NOSE ON THE R-HAND SIDE. SIMULTANEOUSLY; WE HEARD A LOUD BANG. WE DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY RADIO ANOMALIES AND ALL GAUGES CONTINUED TO INDICATE NORMALLY. AFTER LNDG; SEVERAL PAX IN THE AFT CABIN ON THE ACFT R RPTED SEEING FLASHES OF FIRE (SPARKS) COMING FROM THE R WING. SOME EVEN SAID THERE WAS A BURN MARK ON THE TOP OF THE WING. WE COMPLETED AN EXTERIOR POSTFLT INSPECTION AND DID NOT FIND ANY AREAS OF DAMAGE FROM LIGHTNING STRIKE. WE FOUND THE BLACK MARK ON TOP OF THE #4 SPOILER PANEL ON THE R-HAND SIDE TO BE REMAINS OF A BIRD. WE HAD NO INDICATIONS OF HITTING A BIRD OTHER THAN THE REMAINS DISCOVERED ON THE POSTFLT INSPECTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A320 flight crew encounters WX; a lightning strike and bird strike during approach for landing at ord.