Lightning Strikes Plane Full of Passengers

Witness the exciting moment when a surge of lightning suddenly struck an American Eagle plane carrying numerous passengers. Shortly after its landing in Arkansas amid a huge storm. The Embraer E175 had patiently awaited the storm’s passage before proceeding towards the gate. Suddenly, a massive burst of electricity shot through the aircraft yesterday afternoon.

The individual behind the camera, identified as Jason William Hamm by Viral Press, can be heard discussing a previous lightning strike that occurred moments prior. Remarking, “I don’t believe it hit the plane, but it would have undoubtedly resulted in an extraordinary video.”

Mere seconds later, another fierce bolt of lightning strikes the aircraft’s tail. Eliciting excited cheers from the individuals behind Mr. Hamm. As the lightning makes contact, a cascade of sparks shoot from the tail, alerting shocked onlookers. “Woah!” and one individual uttered, “Wow, that would certainly be unfavorable.”

The airplane was fine after the lightning strike

Today, Mr. Hamm confirmed that the plane emerged unscathed. Proceeding to the gate in a normal taxiing fashion. Albeit after a delayed wait on the taxiway due to the heavy storm conditions. Following the lightning strike, the aircraft safely made its way to the gate. Allowing passengers to leave before technicians arrived to assess any potential damage that may have happened. Instances of planes being struck by lightning are not that rare, as shown by a video depicting the moment a plane carrying 140 passengers was hit while preparing for landing.

In the mentioned incident, a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft was flying at a height of roughly 30,000 feet and approaching Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. Captivating footage captured from the cockpit reveals a massive lightning bolt striking the nose of the plane as the pilots try to stay safe through a severe storm.

Navigating through near-complete darkness, the pilots were taken aback by the abrupt lightning strike. Occurring mere yards outside their window.

In a separate incident back in March, a Lufthansa Airlines flight traveling from Austin to Frankfurt survived a scary situation when it was struck by lightning, causing a sudden descent of 1,000 feet while the seatbelt sign was turned off. The unexpected turbulence jolted terrified passengers, who found themselves surrounded by shards of broken glass, leading to screams of terror. This scary event unfolded at an altitude of 37,000 feet while the aircraft was traversing Tennessee.

Following the incident, Lufthansa Flight 469 made an emergency landing at Washington-Dulles International Airport around 9 PM. The event happened merely three hours into the planned 10.5 hour journey to Germany, prompting the diversion for the safety and well-being of those onboard.

What actually happens when lightning strikes an aircraft?

According to Scientific American, on average, it is estimated that each airplane within the U.S. commercial fleet experiences several instances of mild lightning strikes each year. Interestingly, aircraft themselves can sometimes trigger lightning when they pass through regions of clouds that hold a significant electrical charge. In such cases, the lightning discharge comes from the airplane and extends in opposite directions.

While data collection in this area has been limited, smaller business and private planes are believed to be struck less frequently due to their smaller size and their ability to navigate away from stormy conditions that are prone to lightning strikes.

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The most recent documented instance of a commercial plane crash in the United States attributed directly to lightning dates back to 1967. This tragic incident involved a fuel tank explosion caused by lightning. Since then, significant advancements have been made in understanding the effects of lightning on airplanes, leading to better protection techniques.

Presently, airplanes undergo strict lightning certification tests to ensure the safety of their designs. These measures aim to enhance aviation safety by reducing the risks associated with lightning strikes. Passengers and crew may witness a flash and hear a loud noise when lightning strikes their plane. But thanks to meticulous lightning protection engineered into the aircraft and its sensitive components, no serious incidents should occur.

Typically, the lightning will attach to an extremity, such as the nose or wing tip. Then as the aircraft flies through the lightning flash, it attaches itself to the fuselage at other points while the airplane remains within the electric “circuit” between cloud regions of opposite polarity. The current flows through the conductive outside skin and structures of the aircraft and exits through another extremity. Such as the tail.

Occasionally, pilots report temporary flickering of lights or short-lived instrument interference as a result.

Most aircraft use aluminum for their exterior skin, which is an excellent conductor of electricity. By ensuring a continuous conductive path without gaps, engineers ensure that most of the lightning current remains on the exterior of the aircraft. Some modern aircraft, however, use advanced composite materials that are less conductive than aluminum.

To handle this, these composites incorporate embedded layers of conductive fibers or screens designed to carry lightning currents. Passenger jets today contain miles of wires and numerous computers and instruments responsible for controlling various aspects of the aircraft. As with any computer, these systems are susceptible to power surges.

Therefore, the lightning protection engineer not only safeguards the aircraft’s exterior but also ensures that damaging surges or transients cannot reach the sensitive equipment inside. This involves careful shielding, grounding, and the use of surge suppression devices when necessary. All critical circuits and essential equipment must comply with lightning protection regulations set by aviation authorities. Like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Another critical area of concern is the fuel system, where even the smallest spark could be catastrophic.

Engineers implement extreme precautions to prevent lightning currents from causing sparks in any part of the fuel system. Special attention is also given to the aircraft’s radome, the nose cone containing radar, and other flight instruments. Lightning diverter strips applied along the outer surface of the radome protect this area and function similarly to a lightning rod on a building.

For private general aviation planes, avoiding flight through or near thunderstorms is recommended due to severe turbulence and other potential hazards. The FAA has specific regulations governing lightning protection for private aircraft that do not carry passengers. Kit-built composite aircraft, considered “experimental” by the FAA, pose additional concerns as they are not subject to lightning protection regulations.

Many of these aircraft are made of fiberglass or graphite-reinforced composites, and insufficiently protected composites can be damaged by lightning. Therefore, pilots of unprotected fiberglass or composite aircraft should avoid flying near lightning storms or other types of clouds that may contain sufficient electric charge to produce lightning.

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