Lightning Strikes

[TightSlot]

Question from Cabin Crew

The other day, in a nightstop conversation about lightning strikes, I was told that that one of the reasons a lightning strike is not terminal for the aircraft occupants is that the aircraft is a "faraday cage".

Q1. What is a "Faraday Cage"?

Q2. If a mains voltage spike can ****** up my PC, why doesn't a lightning strike fry a glass cockpit? The one strike I've had certainly made me jump a bit, and I was surprised that nothing major appeared to have been damaged: I was expecting blank screens on the flightdeck.

Thanks for any feedback that may be available.

[djk]

Tightslot ,

I'll leave it for someone who's better at explaining than I am for the 2nd part, but this website might interest you with regards

Faraday Cages (http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/~kskeldon/PubSci/exhibits/E3/)

[oxford blue]

The airframe and engines may or may not be damaged, depending on the nature of the strike. Very often they are not. I've been struck by lightning twice whilst airborne and, although I didn't enjoy either experience much, there was no significant damage to the aircraft.

However, it is likely to affect the compasses. The aircraft deviations will be suddenly changed. These days, with the main heading source of airliners coming from INS/IRS, this has less effect on the operation of a modern aircraft than it used to, but the magnetic compasses will still need to be swung afterwards.

[expedite_climb]

I would say the same reason birds can sit on power lines and not get hurt ??? Unless of course the lightning strike does reach the ground.

I have seen aerials knocked off etc by a/c lightning strikes.

[go_edw]

I have seen a 737 on the ground having been struck by lightning with a dirty great hole on the aileron.

I saw the other day slats with hail storm damage....

Lets not forget the Air Transat L1011 at Lyon that was scrapped:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/194114/L/

To me as a pilot- it's not worth going near Cells (thunderstorms) if possible- it scares us- the cabin crew- and more so the pax....

[TightSlot]

Thank you all

[John (Gary) Cooper]

I have justed posted a reply in 'Ditching a large jet' I was a pax in a 4 engine piston job, tropical storm, night time, pilot blinded by lightning, we ended up 1.5 miles short of the runway in the sea!.....read about it { www} above