PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Lightning Strike Damages Fuselage Of American Airlines 787
Old 27th Feb 2023, 01:36
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tdracer
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Everett, WA
Age: 68
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There is tremendous variability in lightning strike damage - not only does it depend the strength of the strike (itself massively variable), it depends on the attachment and exit points. I was on the flightdeck of a 747-8 for a flight test roughly 10 years ago when we took strike - although I nearly jumped out of my shoes when it happened, the pilots thought it was a minor strike. Problem was it attached on the nose (OK) but exited through the wing-body fairing - they needed to replace the fairing (rather expensive).
There was a case maybe 20 years ago where a 757 took a huge strike to the nose - the aircraft only suffered minor damage, but the effects of the strike incapacitated one pilot and 'affected' the other pilot - who fortunately was still able to fly the aircraft.
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