Hit by lightning

Morgan3820

Morgan3820

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El Conquistador
Has anyone been struck by lightning while flying their small plane? What was the effect on plane and passengers. I know the big guys get hit as well as the military, but how about us. I would guess that the numbers would be small in that our flying is more optional.

During a recent flight, I came upon a rainshower while approaching home base at 2500 ft agl. I was pinched between the TS and an active restricted area. Cloud to ground lightning emerged a couple of times about 4 miles distant, maybe 3 miles perpendicular to my course.
 
I would think declaring an emergency would get you into the R area?? That might not work over the White House, but an emergency should override most everything.
 
I hit some lightning once. At night, climbing through clouds during monsoon season in New mexico.

As for the plane, all we could find was a couple little black dots on the nose, and a crack in the fiber glass nose piece about 3 inches long. The radios went to instant static, my GPS blanked out for a seconed then went back to startup mode, my Bendex Radar unit made a big flash and went dark forever. The auto pilot shut off and the radar altimeter sounded off like I was landing with the gear still up. I was temporarily blinded, took about 20 very long seconds before my vision came back enough to fly the plane.

After about 2 minutes the radios came back enough for me to understand voices again. I heard ATC calling for me because my transponder went went off. I acknowledged their call and told them I had a lightning strike, then turned on transponder #2. After a few minutes more the radios were normal, my eye sight was back, and the plane flew as if nothing had happened.

I was in a C-414. The patient and med crew never knew what happened, except for the bright flash of light. There is a curtain that separates the cockpit from the cabin.
 
If your plane was hit by lightening and it fried the electronics, would your insurance pay for it?
 
DesertNomad said:
I would think declaring an emergency would get you into the R area?? That might not work over the White House, but an emergency should override most everything.
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I certainly thought about doing just that. Fortunately, after a brief run, i was able to turn the corner on the R area and turn directly away from the TS. Love my Foreflight.
 
AOPA article on lightning strikes.

http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/1996/August/1/Wx-Watch-Amp-Attacks

In-flight fires seem to be one of the threats, judging by the only incident that's mentioned in detail:

[in 1995] ... a Beech King Air carrying Illinois Governor Jim Edgar and five others was hit by lightning while flying near an area of convective activity south of Peoria. According to reports, a bolt of lightning hit the airplane's nose, then exited via the tailcone, where it blasted a hole eight to 10 inches long. A cabin fire ensued, with flames coming from a light fixture and smoke filling the cabin. The crew depressurized the airplane (it was flying at 14,000 feet at the time of the strike), an action that was credited with extinguishing the flames.
​
 
I searched the NTSB website for info on lightning strikes on general aviation aircraft. I didn't find a lot of reports, so I'd guess that fatalities due to lightning strikes are not common.

In one annual report there was a table of weather-related accidents, and 1 out of 87 weather-related fatal crashes that year was attributed to lightning.

Here are a couple of investigation reports that mention lightning strikes:

Cessna 150:

AIL CTL CABLE SEPARATED DUE LIGHTNING STRIKE.PLT LOST CTL,ACFT DISINTEGRATED.

Piper PA-34

THE ACFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE CRUISING AT 9000 FT MSL. AT THAT TIME, THE PLT OBSERVED A BLUE FLASH OFF THE NOSE & HEARD A LOUD BOOM. ALL RADIOS AND NAVIGATIONAL & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT BECAME INOP. THE PLT CIRCLED DOWN THRU A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS & LANDED. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED A CRACKED RADOME, SPLIT SKIN ON THE NOSE & HOLES IN THE LEFT STABILIZER. BOTH ENGS WERE MAGNETIZED. ALSO, THERE WAS DAMAGE IN THE BATTERY BOX AREA & THE ACFT CONTINUED TO HAVE RADIO PROBLEMS FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS.



 
DesertNomad said:
I would think declaring an emergency would get you into the R area?? That might not work over the White House, but an emergency should override most everything.
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Actually, it will work even in the FRZ. The FAA wasn't kidding in 91.3(b) when they said "any rule of this part."
 
Lightning is strange and powerful stuff and a wide variety go things can happen including nothing. There are so many factors including how much dust and dirt ate in your plane, what type and how damp it is, that it's impossible to predict. Construction is another major factor, a DA20 you can pretty much figure the wings will explode off.
 
you have a better chance of being hit by l.......oh, wait, nevermind.

:goofy:
 
A friend of mine was hit by lightning in his Glasair. I saw it in the shop and talked to the A&P. lots of little stuff, the biggest thing was it blew the spinner off (most of it, anyway), and there was lots of vibration until he landed. Fortunately he was pretty close and on his way home.
 
I took a hit once in a Lear 35 and they ended up having to go though both engines and replaced some bearings.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Has anyone been struck by lightning while flying their small plane? What was the effect on plane and passengers. I know the big guys get hit as well as the military, but how about us. I would guess that the numbers would be small in that our flying is more optional.

During a recent flight, I came upon a rainshower while approaching home base at 2500 ft agl. I was pinched between the TS and an active restricted area. Cloud to ground lightning emerged a couple of times about 4 miles distant, maybe 3 miles perpendicular to my course.
Click to expand...

Frankly, I'm far more concerned with the possibility of extreme turbulence, updrafts/downdrafts, and heavy precip when operating VFR in the vicinity of a thunderstorm. There's a good reason they say to stay FAR away.

Was turning around an option? Lightning strikes 3 miles away are too close for my comfort by far.
 
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