Lightning Strike

[MusketeerMan]

So...going into ORD tonight just minding our own business getting vectors around some "green cells" on the radar and an extremely loud bang occurs on the nose and I'm blinded for what seemed about 5 seconds...

Crazy experience. We sent a message and mx met us at the gate around midnight. When I got down there for the post flight, they had already found about 7 entrance burn marks on the nose/belly of the plane.

Louder & brighter than I expected. A little shaken, but non eventful after the fact.

[wheelsup]

I haven't been hit yet but I think this CRAZY weather in the last few weeks is just a prelude of things to come.

[gomntwins]

I've been struck a couple times now. The funny thing is, it was never when I expected it. I"ve been through my share of bad weather with my cockpit lights on waiting-- it never happens then. It only happens in seemingly benign weather. It's actually pretty neat when you think about it (other than the whole blinding thing and damaging the aircraft) that's a lot of energy going through an airframe and they usually come out of it with minimal battle scars.

[BobDDuck]

Composites don't generally do as well.

I got hit twice while instructing and three times in my first summer here. Nothing since then so maybe I've gotten it all out of me.

[meyers9163]

Originally Posted by MusketeerMan

So...going into ORD tonight just minding our own business getting vectors around some "green cells" on the radar and an extremely loud bang occurs on the nose and I'm blinded for what seemed about 5 seconds...

Crazy experience. We sent a message and mx met us at the gate around midnight. When I got down there for the post flight, they had already found about 7 entrance burn marks on the nose/belly of the plane.

Louder & brighter than I expected. A little shaken, but non eventful after the fact.

Sounds like a fun time.... get use to it 1st time wont be the last...

[SeanD]

There was a show on yesterday about lightning striking airliners. The stats say every airliner flying in America is struck at least once a year. Not sure if thats true. However almost everyone I know who flies a jet has confirmed they have been struck at least once.

[Qgar]

That is a very scary experience, isn't it? Happened to me on a deadhead and I didn't realize what the loud bang was until AFTER the flight.

[akrand]

Its crazy. As a FA, 2 of my flights got hit in 3 days. The second time, the lightening hit the nose also. I was on the J-41 at the time and I didn't hear the bang over the engines, but I saw the bright light. We counted over 20 burns from the nose, going up the side of the plane. I didn't hear if there were more beyond what we could see b/c it made its way up over the pax windows. My husband has been in the industry for over 7 years (and flying in general for about 12 years) and has yet to be hit.

[SRA_kbad]

The MD-10 I was one last week got hit. Scared the poo out of me. It didn't really bother then FedEx crew being that they are quite used to flying through nasty weather.