An air carrier B727 flight crew experienced a lightning strike that damaged the radome and the eleva...

Attributes
ACN	395022
Time
Date	199802
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sbn
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sbn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	395022
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	394124
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During flight planning at ind we checked the radar summary and lightning activity, both on computer. All activity between ind and sbn seemed to be rain of varying intensity. All indications were that cell activity would not be a problem. En route we observed no lightning, but operated the radar looking for cells. During the descent we entered instrument conditions with light to moderate turbulence and rain. The rain seemed to attenuate the radar so we varied the tilt from 4 degrees to 12 degrees nose up to look up through the rain for cells. We saw nothing that we could identify as a cell, only 'green' returns and some 'yellow' which we avoided. A lightning strike occurred at about 5000 ft MSL without warning. No problems were observed in-flight with the aircraft. After landing the mechanic found sheet metal damage to the elevator and on the radome. I don't know how we could have avoided this lightning strike with the equipment we had since no activity showed on the radar.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 FLC EXPERIENCED A LIGHTNING STRIKE THAT DAMAGED THE RADOME AND THE ELEVATOR.

Narrative: DURING FLT PLANNING AT IND WE CHKED THE RADAR SUMMARY AND LIGHTNING ACTIVITY, BOTH ON COMPUTER. ALL ACTIVITY BTWN IND AND SBN SEEMED TO BE RAIN OF VARYING INTENSITY. ALL INDICATIONS WERE THAT CELL ACTIVITY WOULD NOT BE A PROB. ENRTE WE OBSERVED NO LIGHTNING, BUT OPERATED THE RADAR LOOKING FOR CELLS. DURING THE DSCNT WE ENTERED INST CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB AND RAIN. THE RAIN SEEMED TO ATTENUATE THE RADAR SO WE VARIED THE TILT FROM 4 DEGS TO 12 DEGS NOSE UP TO LOOK UP THROUGH THE RAIN FOR CELLS. WE SAW NOTHING THAT WE COULD IDENT AS A CELL, ONLY 'GREEN' RETURNS AND SOME 'YELLOW' WHICH WE AVOIDED. A LIGHTNING STRIKE OCCURRED AT ABOUT 5000 FT MSL WITHOUT WARNING. NO PROBS WERE OBSERVED INFLT WITH THE ACFT. AFTER LNDG THE MECH FOUND SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE ELEVATOR AND ON THE RADOME. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS LIGHTNING STRIKE WITH THE EQUIP WE HAD SINCE NO ACTIVITY SHOWED ON THE RADAR.

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.

An air carrier B727 flight crew experienced a lightning strike that damaged the radome and the elevator.