<< >> NASA ASRS Report 425937, January 1999

An airbus 320 on approach phase at 8000 ft was struck by lightning incurring minor damage to the lower fuselage skin surface.

Attributes
ACN	425937
Time
Date	199901
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjc
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 17500 flight time type : 720
ASRS Report	425937
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
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
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On jaws arrival level at 8000 ft we were in light rain but no turbulence. Radar showed area that looked like light rain for about 5 mi but it was smooth. Approach control reported a 'static discharge' 15 mi from us and asked if we saw lightning. We had not. We turned on all our interior lights. In about 4 mins we experienced a loud bang and an ozone smell. All ECAM pages showed normal. We landed in 5 mins. Upon leaving the plane I checked the radome and saw no damage. I called maintenance control and dispatch. Upon departing the next morning the sjc station agents informed us maintenance found multiple holes in the belly of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 ON APCH PHASE AT 8000 FT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING INCURRING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE SKIN SURFACE.

Narrative: ON JAWS ARR LEVEL AT 8000 FT WE WERE IN LIGHT RAIN BUT NO TURB. RADAR SHOWED AREA THAT LOOKED LIKE LIGHT RAIN FOR ABOUT 5 MI BUT IT WAS SMOOTH. APCH CTL RPTED A 'STATIC DISCHARGE' 15 MI FROM US AND ASKED IF WE SAW LIGHTNING. WE HAD NOT. WE TURNED ON ALL OUR INTERIOR LIGHTS. IN ABOUT 4 MINS WE EXPERIENCED A LOUD BANG AND AN OZONE SMELL. ALL ECAM PAGES SHOWED NORMAL. WE LANDED IN 5 MINS. UPON LEAVING THE PLANE I CHKED THE RADOME AND SAW NO DAMAGE. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH. UPON DEPARTING THE NEXT MORNING THE SJC STATION AGENTS INFORMED US MAINT FOUND MULTIPLE HOLES IN THE BELLY OF THE ACFT.

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.