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

Date: 2003-05 · Aircraft: EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-lightening-strike-damage

Synopsis

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.

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