Lightning Strike - Singapore Airline
 

Was on a Singapore Airline flight (SQ238 MEL-SIN) yesterday that was struck by lighting as it was coming into land (about 10 minutes prior). Fairly loud noise, sounded like a muffled thud with what appeared to be a localised flash of light over the starboard wing. (Almost plasma like, rather than instantaneous flash like normal lightning)

I know that planes are well designed for this, but is something like this that regular and should it be reported? Would the pilots know there had been a lightning strike from any of their instruments or warning systems?

Yes, they are quite common.
Pilots usually know when a lightning strike has occurred. Engineers will also know what to look for and will likely see evidence of a lightning strike as they do their walk-around.
Maintenance-wise, there will be an inspection carried out to identify any skin damage from the lightning strike. 99.9% of damage from lightning strikes is superficial, paint damage and maybe some rivets or static wicks damaged, depending where the strike enters and exits the aircraft. It's very rare that a strike will significantly damage the aircraft, as they're designed to withstand lightning strikes.
If it's really bugging you, you can always call SIA and let them know the details. Either they'll already know, or they'll be happy for the information.

About one hundred aircraft is struck by lightning every day around the world. Quite common.

I only know of two lightning strikes that I've been involved with. The first, on a BAe146 with the F/O flying and me filling in the tech log. I was aware milli-seconds before the bang that something was amiss when I noticed the F/O duck. He said the lightning bolt hit his windscreen wiper post.

After landing the cabin crew advised that they'd observed what appeared to be a fire ball travel down the starboard side of the aircraft, between the fuse and inboard engine.

No damage.

The second was in a B717, again the F/O flying. With no weather painting save general green cloud, we both noted a flash ahead of the aeroplane but no sound or obvious sign of a strike. We arranged an inspection on landing as a precautionary measure.

On this occasion the engineers found burnt rivets, scorched hinges on the elevator tabs, burn marks on one radio antenna and burn marks on the tail cone.

Zero so far.15 years commercial flying.

If it was a muffled thud, then most likely it wasn't a hit. A direct hit tends to sound like more of a 'crack' sound. Also, if it's very close or a direct hit - you can often smell the ozone created.

A majority of strikes do no damage particularly on the newer aircraft which have the technological advancements to reduce the damage. In particular, Airbus FBW types have to have very good screening/bonding to protect their flight control systems. But damage can occur and on the A320, the exit points tend to be the engines and many of our aircraft have blended out small sections of the jetpipes missing.

I have had many strikes and only one caused significant problems. This was an older 1960's jet and it tripped off one electrical system, blew the radars and half the radios. Both pilots also felt a shock - the FO through his feet and I through my left foot and up the left side of my body to my left hand which was pressing the transmit switch. And on a 747 once, the strike entered the airframe via a windscreen wiper - which promptly vapourised. As this happened about 18'' in front of my nose - it got my attention!

Definitely a hit, I know what lightning looks like normally flying around 80 flights a year around SE Asia (hard to remember a flight where I didn't see lightning) This, as another poster described above, appeared as a fireball above the wing where it joins the body.

As an FO on the 747 years ago, I flew with a big sized captain with a big nose & proportionately sized nostrils.

We had a lightning strike which punctured the radome. When we blocked in, the engineer came on the headset and said, "Captain, you have a big hole in your nose!"

Wow, I thought. He could see from all the way down there. It was a real effort not to burst out laughing.