2024-12 · NASA ASRS report 2199454
B767 flight crew reported lightning strike followed by multiple electrical malfunctions and electrical burning smells resulted in a diversion.
Lightning strike during climb out on ZZZ from runway XXR at 6200 feet. We were in a right turn heading 040 per ATC. I was hand flying and looking at my instruments when I noticed some Saint Elmo's fire on my windshield; then saw the lightning bolt in front of me. It was startlingly bright; and we all saw it and felt it. Continued climb and reported incident to ATC. Once out of weather and 10 000 feet; assessed aircraft. All cockpit instrument; readings; gages; indications; EICAS; and status messages were normal but flight attendants were reporting on and off electrical burning smell in front of aircraft. Had FO fly aircraft and handle radio to set up SAT COM call with dispatch & maintenance. Chief Pilot joined call also. Maintenance Control voiced concern about cabin entertainment system. Relief Pilot went into cabin to confirm flight attendant reports. Had flight attendants turn off cabin entertainment as a precaution. My initial plan to continue en route and monitor situation with airports as alternates turned out to be a bad idea after input from dispatch as weather at all possible airports was at or below minimums. Chief Pilot advised to not return to ZZZ if we decided to divert but to fly to ZZZ1. Since flight attendants kept reporting on and off electrical smell in forward galley and front of aircraft; decided to divert to ZZZ1. Advised ATC; were rerouted; started descent; and took on PF duties again. Dispatch [requested priority handling] for us which gave us expedited ATC handling. Subsequent approach and landing uneventful. Once at the gate; while deplaning; some passengers reported seeing lightning impacting the aircraft on left; about mid wing; on the leading edge. Reported all to maintenance who was inspecting aircraft. Maintenance then asked us to test run aircraft engines so they could evaluate for electrical odors which we did after Maintenance Control gave authorization. After all that; it was getting late and we decided against continuing to ZZZZ.
ZZZ-ZZZZ. At the gate; ZZZ ATIS information was C (I believe) which indicated temperature as 10C; no rain. Looking out the window it was raining and TAT (Total Air Temperature) onboard read 8C. Taxiing out the rain continued as the storm was moving north toward the airport. At time of departure ATIS was over 1.5 old with no new ATIS issued. A new METAR was issued indicated the 8C temperature and rain. The winds indicated a 12 knot tailwind for take off on XXR. We had asked if there would be a swap to XY's and were told no by ATC. While in the performance envelope; as a precaution; XXR full length was requested and received utilizing max thrust takeoff with reduced thrust numbers procedure. During the takeoff roll we could hear tower communicate to another aircraft there would be a few more arrivals to XX before swapping to XYs.Following the take-off roll; we begun the ZZZZZ departure where departure left us low and instructed us to turn to the west. Eventually we received a climb to 10;000 FT MSL and a right turn direct ZZZZZ. Turning through approximately 300 degrees the radar showed some red in the distance on the 40 mile map scale; however; our immediate vicinity was shown in green on the radar. While the turn was kept tight we began to pick up St. Elmo's Fire for a brief moment followed by a lightning bolt developing right off the nose of the aircraft which we as crew believed to have struck the airplane as it shook the aircraft and created a strong after image in our eyes. I informed Departure that we were struck by lighting; to which they asked if all was normal? In the moment all systems appeared to indicate normal. We were passed to Center who was aware of the strike from the last controller. At 10;000 MSL ZZZ [TRACON] asked if we wanted to level and I communicated for higher so we could continue a climb out of the storm. Relief Pilot rtly after a burning smell developed in the flight deck; all systems still indicated normal and airplane was pressurizing fine. Relief Pilot called back to the flight attendants to check in on them and reported back that they were smelling a burning electrical smell and that the IFE (In-flight Entertainment) was malfunctioning. I took over as PF/radios; while Relief Pilot and Captain SATCOM called dispatch/Maintenance Control. One asked if anyone from the flight deck did a cabin walk to confirm the smell. At that time Relief Pilot walked back to the cabin to do a walk of the entire aircraft. The Captain and I discussed continuing the climb out of the weather as systems operated normal still. We climbed to FL330 in preparation for our crossing to ensure fuel burn wasn't excessive compared to staying down at a lower altitude. The Relief Pilot came back to the flight deck to confirm the burning electrical smell was present. Some cabin lights were also malfunctioning. No smoke indications were present in cabin/flight deck but smell persisted. While discussing whether to continue or divert; dispatch mentioned ZZZZ1/ ZZZZ2/ ZZZZ3 were not open for diversions due to weather that evening. In an exercise of extreme caution due to the electrical burning smell still staying strong and non suitable alternates; we elected to divert to ZZZ1. Dispatch [requested priority handling] on our behalf; while I coordinated with Center routing to ZZZ1. The aircraft descended and landed normally. We received progressive taxi to gate XX where maintenance began inspecting the aircraft and the Relief Pilot completed form for the electrical burning smell. I later declared unfit for additional duty with the Chief Pilot and all crew went to the hotel in ZZZ1 for rest.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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