Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Do lightning strikes affect airplanes? Fortified cockpit doors, seniority numbers, DME arcs, taxi speeds, and more.
Lightning diverter strips on radome
Give me your review in iTunes!
I’m “Capt. Jeff” on Facebook, and “airlinepilotguy” on Twitter.
(304) 99-PILOT
(304) 997-4568
ATC audio from http://LiveATC.net
Intro/Outro music by Tim Brown, BrownHouseMedia, iStockphoto.com
Copyright © AirlinePilotGuy 2011, All Rights Reserved
Hi Cpt Jeff,
Enjoy the show as always!
In the subject of the ‘last’ crash caused by lightning, there as a recent crash of an aircraft, not an airplane but an helicopter, in the North Sea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristow_Flight_56C
The reason I mention is not to ‘correct’ but because the Air Crash Investigation episode about this one is fascinating because of the airmanship of the pilots, and also because of the investigation itself.
Many were accusing the pilots of flying in bat weather, and the investigation team recovered the wreck from the sea floor, and discovered that the tail rotor remained attached by the cables only, and if it had broken loose, there was no way for it to remain balanced and to autorotate to safety.
Really do check that episode, it talks a lot about making the structures, specially composite structures, resistant to lightning strikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq2cVJi-2Nk
God bless and Merry Christmas!!
Henrique Gomes