PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Composites in airliners and Lightning
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Old 5th May 2009, 09:16
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Denti
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
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There was a fatal accident last year in germany where a Diamond DA-42 IFR and known icing approved light piston twin crashed after a lightning strike. Sadly the final report is not out yet and the preliminary is in german only.

However it seems from the report that the twin in question received a lightning strike which lead to instant explosive delamination of the elevator. Remember, that type of aircraft is IFR approved and has inlaid metal meshing within the composites to prevent damage by lightning strikes. Of course that type is a JAR/FAR 23 aircraft and not 25, so the requirements differ by quite a bit, however it is a full composite aircraft that should be able to withstand lightning strikes.
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