fireflybob's query....

I seem to recall a USAF Lockheed C-141 crashed on approach to Mildenhall,Suffolk UK after being struck by lightning................That's a big airlifter to be bought down by a bolt of lightning.

Don't know if the lightning strike resulted in a complete electrical failure which subsequently caused the crash......Anyone?

sec 3
 

I can't speculate on the cause of PULKOVO TU-154 crash
at this time.
The Pan Am 707 was WX radar equipped and in a holding pattern with 5 other aircraft when it was struck by lightning. The old Maritime Central DC-4, CF-MCF, did not have WX radar, sadly. Photo of sister ship
CF-MCB taken one month before crash. Link:

http://us.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/photos/photos/2/3/8/0009832.jpg

Photo of a PULKOVO TU-154:

http://www.auctiontransportation.com...00122448_1.JPG

fireflybob
 

Further to lightning strikes, checkout the link to the Atmospheric Science hall display at the University of Albany, NY. Note the 3 cm hole in the wing tip made by the lightning bolt.

www.deas.albany.edu/deas/bvonn/707wingt.html

Sister ship N710PA photo taken at New York Int'l (pre JFK) early 1960s:

http://members.tripod.com/~psa188/photos/ia9547.JPG

Crash after Lightning Strikes
 

The two occasions I can certainly recall lightning being a direct cause of a crash were a glider at Dunstable Downs and a Puma in the North Sea. Both were as a result of lightning striking and destroying composite materials and both a re well reported on the AAIB site.

From memory you can add the Iranian Air Force 747 which crashed on approach to Madrid and a Peruvian L188 Electra to the list of aircraft lost following an explosion in the ullage following a lightning strike and I'm sure there must be others. I also seem to remember a Brasilia or some other similar comuter type being lost in Belgium (?) after it lost its electrics following a lightning strike. However, I think it is purely speculation that a lightning strike has had anything to do with this accident. The reports of severe turbulence might be a more interesting area for speculation.

search the NTSB site in the accident synopsis & database for the string "lightning strike". Shows 14 occurrences.

media's:hmm: repoted lightning strike just took down a Russian airliner,
but Obviously, I don't believe it, but that what they reported :*

Within 55 Years !!!

We had a 4" hole punched into the top of a Viscount wing, it went round the fuel and out of a hole that was in line with the top hole.

I saw the bolt come out of the top of a CB a mile or so above us, and zig-zag down. The bang was almost unblievable.

Does anyone know if aircraft can withstand a positive-charge lightning strike?

(this is much rarer than most lightning which is negative-charge but around 10 times stronger).

Have been hit in a prop blade on a B1900..exit point on the left winglet..The whole winglet was torn up but no systems affected..
/CP

Not sure if this is the same issue, but my aircraft suffered an ‘inadvertent’ air to ground strike, i.e. we flew through an air to ground strike, as opposed to 'creating' the normal air to aircraft strike. According to the experts who came to view the aircraft this is a very rare event. The damage was slight, but there were some interesting patterns amongst the 160 or so, burn marks (razorback effect).

The strike has to be ground-aircraft-air or air-aircraft-ground or air-aircraft-air. The aircraft cannot be the terminating point of the strike unless, of course, it's on the ground. The laws of physics never sleep!



After an excellent landing you can use the airplane again!