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vagabond 03-04-2011 08:48 PM
Alaska Airlines Plane Hit By Lightning
 
Suddenly hit by lightning? Does lightning give notice first before hitting? :D


From KING5:

SEATTLE – An Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Chicago was hit by lightning shortly before it was scheduled to land Friday afternoon.

Flight 20, with 168 passengers on board, left Seattle at 8:40 a.m. and was due to land at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport at about 2:15 p.m. local time. When the Boeing 737-900 was about 15 minutes from the airport it was suddenly hit by the lightning, according to Bobbie Egan of Alaska Airlines.

There had been no indication of lightning in the area and the strike surprised the flight crew and Chicago air traffic controllers.

The aircraft landed safely. There were no injuries.

The aircraft was pulled from service.

The plane was scheduled to return to Seattle as flight 23. The airline is working to arrange alternate flights for those passengers.

UAL T38 Phlyer 03-05-2011 02:14 PM
Just In
 
Vagabond:

NASA and the NOAA report the lightning emanated from the Greek God of lightning and weather, Charlie Sheen. He claims to have cured the weather with his mind.

Seriously, it must have been a slow news day. Airliners get hit by lightning a lot. I remember flying a 727 that had 19 write-ups in the log for lightning burn-marks. (One strike that 'jumped' and made 19 burns). Didn't even pull it from service. Maintenance checked everything out (everything else was fine), and wrote-up that there were burn marks on the paint.

Stratosphere 03-05-2011 11:10 PM
Originally Posted by UAL T38 Phlyer (Post 958636)
Vagabond:

NASA and the NOAA report the lightning emanated from the Greek God of lightning and weather, Charlie Sheen. He claims to have cured the weather with his mind.

Seriously, it must have been a slow news day. Airliners get hit by lightning a lot. I remember flying a 727 that had 19 write-ups in the log for lightning burn-marks. (One strike that 'jumped' and made 19 burns). Didn't even pull it from service. Maintenance checked everything out (everything else was fine), and wrote-up that there were burn marks on the paint.
Agreed must have been a slow news day. I have been a mechanic for over 25 years for two different airlines and lightning strikes are pretty common and we do our required inspection but most times you change a static wick or two or CDL it and it gets put back in service.

tomgoodman 03-06-2011 06:32 AM
Originally Posted by vagabond (Post 958299)
Does lightning give notice first before hitting? :D
Like a drive-by shooter, it gives no warning; but sometimes there are signs which indicate that you're in a "bad neighborhood": St. Elmo's fire, radio static, etc.

Fly Boy Knight 03-07-2011 09:03 AM
Originally Posted by tomgoodman (Post 958881)
Like a drive-by shooter, it gives no warning; but sometimes there are signs which indicate that you're in a "bad neighborhood": St. Elmo's fire, radio static, etc.
That is probably the best way I have ever heard to describe the potential for a lightning strike. :)


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