Lightning strikes can disrupt airline operations, resulting in costly delays and service disruptions. Airplane strikes are rather common, but they rarely have a significant impact on the airplane’s continued safe operation. Lightning protection is employed on Boeing flights to avoid delays and interruptions, as well as to lessen the severity of a lightning strike. Maintenance workers must be familiar with lightning protection measures, correct inspection, and repair procedures to maximise the effectiveness of repairs to lightning damage.

Spirit Airlines flight makes emergency landing after ‘double lightning strikes’(Opens in a new browser tab)

The geographical area where the aircraft operates and how frequently the aircraft passes through takeoff and landing altitudes when lightning activity is most common, are two factors that have an impact on the frequency of lightning strikes that an airplane experiences.

During flight, lightning struck an American Airlines airplane. A picture of the American Airlines Dreamliner’s upper fuselage was posted by Aviation Maintenance.

American Airlines Boeing 787 (unknown ID) experienced extensive damage to its composite fuselage crown when it was hit by lightning during flight. @goodbadugly_ap pic.twitter.com/Ye3EpBl2Ab

— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) February 24, 2023

When the Boeing 787 was struck by lightning while in flight, the composite fuselage crown sustained significant damage. Summer is thunderstorm season, and flying aircraft may occasionally be struck by lightning. A lightning strike on an airplane, however, is not harmful because airplanes are made to resist lightning strikes.

The highest probability for lightning attachment to an airplane is the outer extremities, such as the wing tip, nose, or rudder. Lightning strikes occur most often during the climb and descent phases of flight at an altitude of 5,000 to 15,000 feet (1,524 to 4,572 meters). The probability of a lightning strike decreases significantly above 20,000 feet (6,096 meters).

LIGHTNING PROTECTION

The majority of legacy airplanes’ external parts are made of metal and are thick enough to withstand a lightning strike. This metal assemblage serves as their primary defense. The thickness of the metal surface is sufficient to shield the interior of the plane from a lightning strike. The metal skin also prevents electromagnetic energy from entering the airplane’s electrical wiring. While the metal skin does not prevent all electromagnetic radiation from entering the electrical wire, it does keep it at a manageable level.

Boeing tries to design and test its commercial airplanes for lightning-strike protection by understanding nature and the impacts of lightning strikes in order to ensure protection is supplied throughout their service lives. Important techniques for reducing lightning strike damage include material selection, finish selection, installation, and application of protective measures.

LIGHTNING-STRIKE STRUCTURAL INSPECTION PROCEDURES

If lightning strikes an aeroplane, a lightning-strike conditional inspection is required to determine the lightning-strike entrance and exit sites. When inspecting the locations of entry and exit, maintenance professionals should carefully check the structure to find all of the damage that has happened.

Prior to returning to service, a conditional inspection is required to determine any structural or system damage. The structure may have burn holes, which can cause pressure loss or cracks. Prior to flight, the crucial system components, wire bundles, and bonding straps must be certified as airworthy. For these reasons, Boeing recommended that a comprehensive lightning-strike conditional examination be completed prior to the next trip in order to keep the plane airworthy.

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