A B757 air carrier flight crew encountered cloud to cloud lightning and st elmo's fire that was foll...

Attributes
ACN	378842
Time
Date	199708
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dlh
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	378842
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At FL350, we were diverting around thunderstorms. While clear of thunderstorms, we still encountered cloud-cloud lightning and st elmo's fire. A strong odor of electrical fumes was detected by both crew members. Immediately requested from ATC an emergency descent and landing into dlh. Msp was somewhat closer, but surrounded by thunderstorms. At the initial leveloff for vectors at 3000 ft, both ADI's were giving erroneous indications. At level flight, they indicated an 8-10 degree nose up attitude. Dlh is not in the FMC data base and there was not significant information on the approach plate to build a complete approach. The first officer constructed the FAF (final approach fix) and the approach course to that fix. However, no path or course was constructed from FAF to the runway due to the time frame and lack of information. Smoke/fume evacuate/evacuation checklist had been completed and fumes had lessened. The approach was manually flown by the captain. An overweight landing was done smoothly (3000 pounds over landing weight). On rollout we received an equipment overheat light. We accomplished the equipment overheat checklist during taxi in. Crash/rescue crews followed us to the gate. No further incident occurred. Incident reports were filed with the company and union officials.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 ACR FLC ENCOUNTERED CLOUD TO CLOUD LIGHTNING AND ST ELMO'S FIRE THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A STRONG ODOR OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT AND THE ATTITUDE DIRECTION INDICATORS MALFUNCTION. THEY DIVERTED AND LANDED MAKING A MANUAL APCH.

Narrative: AT FL350, WE WERE DIVERTING AROUND TSTMS. WHILE CLR OF TSTMS, WE STILL ENCOUNTERED CLOUD-CLOUD LIGHTNING AND ST ELMO'S FIRE. A STRONG ODOR OF ELECTRICAL FUMES WAS DETECTED BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS. IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED FROM ATC AN EMER DSCNT AND LNDG INTO DLH. MSP WAS SOMEWHAT CLOSER, BUT SURROUNDED BY TSTMS. AT THE INITIAL LEVELOFF FOR VECTORS AT 3000 FT, BOTH ADI'S WERE GIVING ERRONEOUS INDICATIONS. AT LEVEL FLT, THEY INDICATED AN 8-10 DEG NOSE UP ATTITUDE. DLH IS NOT IN THE FMC DATA BASE AND THERE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT INFO ON THE APCH PLATE TO BUILD A COMPLETE APCH. THE FO CONSTRUCTED THE FAF (FINAL APCH FIX) AND THE APCH COURSE TO THAT FIX. HOWEVER, NO PATH OR COURSE WAS CONSTRUCTED FROM FAF TO THE RWY DUE TO THE TIME FRAME AND LACK OF INFO. SMOKE/FUME EVAC CHKLIST HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND FUMES HAD LESSENED. THE APCH WAS MANUALLY FLOWN BY THE CAPT. AN OVERWT LNDG WAS DONE SMOOTHLY (3000 LBS OVER LNDG WT). ON ROLLOUT WE RECEIVED AN EQUIP OVERHEAT LIGHT. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE EQUIP OVERHEAT CHKLIST DURING TAXI IN. CRASH/RESCUE CREWS FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE. NO FURTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED. INCIDENT RPTS WERE FILED WITH THE COMPANY AND UNION OFFICIALS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A B757 air carrier flight crew encountered cloud to cloud lightning and st elmo's fire that was followed by a strong odor of an electrical short circuit and the attitude direction indicators malfunction. They diverted and landed making a manual approach.