A SAAB 340B ON DSCNT AT 7000 FT EXPERIENCED A LIGHTNING STRIKE CAUSING BOTH GENERATORS TO DROP OFF THE LINE WITH NO IMMEDIATE RESET. FLT OPERATED WITH STANDBY BUS PWRING 1 STANDBY GYRO AND #1 COM.

1998-05 · NASA ASRS report 402399

Date: 1998-05 · Aircraft: SF 340B

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A SAAB 340B ON DSCNT AT 7000 FT EXPERIENCED A LIGHTNING STRIKE CAUSING BOTH GENERATORS TO DROP OFF THE LINE WITH NO IMMEDIATE RESET. FLT OPERATED WITH STANDBY BUS PWRING 1 STANDBY GYRO AND #1 COM.

Narrative

ON MAY/XA/98 WHILE RETURNING TO LAX FROM FAT; WE WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING APPROX 2 NM NW OF DARTS INTXN. WE WERE DSNDING FROM 8000 FT TO 6000 FT AND WERE STRUCK AT APPROX 7000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; SEVERAL BUSES LOST PWR DUE TO BOTH GENERATORS GOING OFF-LINE. WE LOST ALL EFIS TUBES AND THE STANDBY ADI WAS SUSPECT. NEVERTHELESS; WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT WHILE THE CAPT WENT TO MEMORY ITEMS AND THE QRH IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTORE PWR AND INSTS. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF THE PROB AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY VECTORED TO VMC CONDITIONS AND THEN LAX. THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. WHAT WAS SURPRISING TO THE CAPT AND I WAS THAT ALTHOUGH THE WX RADAR WAS ON AND FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY IT FAILED TO DEPICT ANY CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT INCURRED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE FROM THE LIGHTNING STRIKE IN ADDITION TO THE GENERATORS DROPPING OFF THE LINE. THE RPTR SAID AT ONE POINT IN TIME THE ONLY ELECTRICAL PWR WAS THE EMER BATTERY PACK POWERING THE STANDBY GYRO AND #1 COM UNIT. THE RPTR SAID THE CAPT WORKED ON RESTORING BOTH GENERATORS TO THE LINE WHILE THE RPTR FLEW THE ACFT. THE RPTR STATED MAINT REPLACED THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS; ALL GLASS CATHODE RAY INSTS DUE TO THE PHOSPHOROUS COATING BURNED OFF; ALL ANTENNAS; BONDING WIRES AND THE MAIN SHIP'S BATTERY. THE RPTR STATED SOME ELECTRICAL UNITS WERE REPLACED THAT MAY HAVE CTLED THE L AND R GENERATOR BUSES.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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