by Allen | Jul 11, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
A recent lightning strike to a tree in Grand Junction, CO blew the bark completely off the bottom of the tree and frightened the nearby residents. Bark was found 60 feet away from the tree. Holy smokes!
by Allen | Jul 8, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
A New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 was struck while flying through a storm that also included hail. The pilot declared an emergency and landed promptly. The video shows the aircraft landing safely while several fire engines are on alert. After disembarking, the pilot discusses the harrowing experience with a local reporter. See the video at http://t.co/Tt2hRGP and the news reports here: http://t.co/7octlPn and here:...
by Allen | Jul 7, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
New video of Chicago’s tallest building being struck by lightning.
by Allen | Jun 29, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
In 1999, a fiberglass glider suffered a tremendous lightning strike. The aircraft rapidly broke into multiple pieces and fell to earth. The pilots parachuted to the ground and lived to tell the tale. The following video re-enacts the flights and talks with the pilots. Also in the video is Cobham’s Stephen Haigh to discuss lightning...
by Allen | Jun 24, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
Great video taken by a passenger which shows two separate lightning attachments to the wing followed by leaders emanating from the wing. See the video and still shots below: “Third” Strike – This is a good picture of leader formation from the wing due to the strong electric fields around the airplane as it flies near a thunderstorm. This is not a “lightning strike” because a single hot channel does not form which indicates charge is being transferred from the...
by Allen | Jun 23, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
It appears the FAA is taking a hard line on aircraft operators that are not properly inspecting aircraft after lightning strikes. See the news article below: Press Release – FAA Proposes $250,000 Civil Penalty Against AirTran Airways For Immediate Release June 23, 2011 Contact: Kathleen Bergen Phone: (404) 305-5100 ATLANTA – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $250,000 civil penalty against AirTran Airways of Orlando, Fla., for allegedly operating a Boeing 737 on four passenger flights when it was not in compliance with FAA regulations. The FAA alleges Air Tran did not properly repair or test an angle-of-attack sensor on the aircraft, which warns if there is a potential loss of lift, after it was struck by lightning during a flight on March 20, 2009. The FAA also alleges the airline misused the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) when it decided to defer the repair and continued to operate the aircraft. The MEL sets out a list of what systems must be in working order to fly the plane legally and which items can be deferred temporarily until repairs can be made. Repair or maintenance of a damaged or inoperative angle-of-attack sensor may not be deferred. AirTran has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the...
by Allen | Jun 22, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
A lightning strike to an oil tank in Kansas explodes the tank and sends it 500 ft from its foundation. See the news report here:...
by Allen | Jun 20, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
It’s hard to believe that aircraft designers, for many years, did not provide lightning protection for radomes. This usually resulted in big holes in the radomes and significant damage to radars. Today, lightning protection can be easily added to the exterior of the radome using WXGuard segmented lightning diverters. RF transparent and rain erosion resistant, WXGuard diverter provide great lightning protection without affecting radome...
by Allen | Jun 17, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
Atlantic Southeast Airlines is facing a $425,000 fine from the FAA for not properly inspecting aircraft after a lightning strike and then continuing to fly the aircraft. See the news video...
by Allen | Jun 15, 2011 | Lightning Protection |
A news story from Richmond, VA tells the story of a very lucky man. As he was exiting a building, lightning struck nearby and sent him to the ground. He eventually ended up in the hospital but lived to tell the tale.
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