Gallery: Lightning Strikes - Key Learnings

Attachment Points

Lightning causes physical damage to the aircraft due to the direct attachment of the lightning channel and conduction of the current. Additional effects include bending, melting, burning, pitting and/or vaporization of the aircraft structure or components, magnetic pinching, shock wave and overpressure, explosion of fuel vapors, electric shock and flash-blindness, and residual magnetism. It also includes the currents and voltages directly injected in associated wiring and plumbing.  Read more in Part 1 of the lightning damage article.

On Oct. 10, 2014, a United Airlines Boeing 787-824 (N26906) was struck by lightning during initial climb, a few minutes into a flight from London Heathrow Airport (EGLL) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH). The locations circled in red are the lightning attachment points on the forward fuselage.

Credit: NTSB

Lightning Strike

This photo captured the moment a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt struck an aircraft at low altitude. Notice that the lightning bolt entered the aircraft near the forward part of the fuselage and exited near the tail. “Entry” and “exit” points are common damage to an aircraft as a result of a lightning strike.

Credit: National Weather Service

Exit Points

Flight controls and trailing edges of the wings and tails are common exit points for the electrical charge. Flight controls suffered damage in 39% of the turbojet and 30% of the turboprop lightning strikes. Static wicks suffered damage in 16% of the turbojet and 24% of the turboprop strikes. Read more in Part 1 of the lightning damage article.

Flight controls and trailing edges of the wings and tails are common exit points for the electrical charge. Flight controls suffered damage in 39% of the turbojet and 30% of the turboprop lightning strikes. Static wicks suffered damage in 16% of the turbojet and 24% of the turboprop strikes. Read more in Part 1 of the lightning damage article.

The locations circled in red are the lightning attachment points near the left aileron of the United Airlines Boeing 787 (N26906). Credit: NTSB

Blank Displays

The United Airlines Boeing 787 (N26906) flight crew lost the use of three of the five head-down displays (HDDs) following the lightning strike. The displays outlined in red blanked out. After the crew elected to follow the “Loss of All Displays Checklist,” none of the affected displays recovered to an operational state.

Credit: NTSB

NOAA Storm Chaser

Lightning within Tropical Storm Laura as seen from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration WP-3D Orion during a morning flight on Aug. 23, 2020

Credit: Nick Underwood, NOAA

US1209 Flight Path

The red dots indicate lightning bolts that were detected on Aug. 14, 2011. The black line represents the flight path of US Airways Flight 1209, a Boeing 757 en route from Philadelphia to Philipsburg, St. Maarten. The aircraft was struck by lightning at approximately 16,000 ft. The crew reported smoke in the cockpit, declared an emergency, and diverted to Baltimore, where the airplane landed without further incident.

Credit: NTSB

Windshield Damage

The locations circled in red are seal damage to the captain’s windshield caused by lightning strikes on the United Airlines Boeing 787 (N26906).

Credit: NTSB