pullupnow
8th Jan 2001, 21:06
greez everybody !
Please give me a few seconds and let me know if you recently or ever experienced a lightning strike during approach.
I would like to collect as many as available date from any incidents, especially relating to new generation B737.Many thanks for your kind attention.
Background : After 30 minutes cruise at 410, we entered a bank of stratoform clouds, when we approached FCO, Italy.
The WX showed widespread green echoes at auto gain. We entered the weather at Fl 100, moderate turbulence began, indicatin low lewel TCU,s embedded within the layers. Moderate rain followed, no lightnings visible in the whole area. At 5000 ft on intercept heading to ILS 16L, speed 230 KIAS, temp 8 °C, wing antiice on, clean config, LIGHTNING STRIKES ! I could feel the impact on my feet, loud bang. 3 seconds later, another one ! This time in the back of the aircraft !
CB,s checked, MASTERCAUTION checked, no system malfunction, landing uneventfull.
On the outsidecheck we found more than 20 wholes in the area of the nosecone, melting down the aircrafts skin and burning off the colour 3 inches wide,travelling backwards on the fuselage up to the fwd cargo door. More signes on top of the fin and on the stabilizer (this was the second hit ).
What makes me curious is that the only reported an visible lightnings in the area hit our 737-800 !
What I suspect is that we brought a lot of electrical charge from the cruising level, which discharged at once in the unstable cloud layer, caused significant damage to a new aircraft and did not amuse us after all.
What I missed completley was the "St.Elmos Fire" normaly seen when descending into clouds, which provides a means of step by step discharging.
Also I want to make a point in not using levels beyond 330, second to the cosmic radiation exposure.
Looking forward to your reply, excuse my poor english, and check your six, gerald.k
Please give me a few seconds and let me know if you recently or ever experienced a lightning strike during approach.
I would like to collect as many as available date from any incidents, especially relating to new generation B737.Many thanks for your kind attention.
Background : After 30 minutes cruise at 410, we entered a bank of stratoform clouds, when we approached FCO, Italy.
The WX showed widespread green echoes at auto gain. We entered the weather at Fl 100, moderate turbulence began, indicatin low lewel TCU,s embedded within the layers. Moderate rain followed, no lightnings visible in the whole area. At 5000 ft on intercept heading to ILS 16L, speed 230 KIAS, temp 8 °C, wing antiice on, clean config, LIGHTNING STRIKES ! I could feel the impact on my feet, loud bang. 3 seconds later, another one ! This time in the back of the aircraft !
CB,s checked, MASTERCAUTION checked, no system malfunction, landing uneventfull.
On the outsidecheck we found more than 20 wholes in the area of the nosecone, melting down the aircrafts skin and burning off the colour 3 inches wide,travelling backwards on the fuselage up to the fwd cargo door. More signes on top of the fin and on the stabilizer (this was the second hit ).
What makes me curious is that the only reported an visible lightnings in the area hit our 737-800 !
What I suspect is that we brought a lot of electrical charge from the cruising level, which discharged at once in the unstable cloud layer, caused significant damage to a new aircraft and did not amuse us after all.
What I missed completley was the "St.Elmos Fire" normaly seen when descending into clouds, which provides a means of step by step discharging.
Also I want to make a point in not using levels beyond 330, second to the cosmic radiation exposure.
Looking forward to your reply, excuse my poor english, and check your six, gerald.k