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B737-300 crew was informed the aircraft that they had flown had lightning strike damage that was discovered by maintenance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 566884 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200211 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 238 flight time total : 15430 flight time type : 8930 |
| ASRS Report | 566884 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Lightning strike damage on aircraft. I was informed by a ground operations agent in ZZZ1 that the aircraft we had terminated on the evening before was discovered to have had a significant lightning strike, resulting in significant damage to various areas along the top of the fuselage. At no time during our flts did we encounter any lightning, or any convective WX whatsoever. The only clouds we had were some thin low stratus types around mht. We observed no avionics problems, electrical problems, or any other anomalies. Due to the location of the strike damage along the top of the aircraft fuselage, it would have been extremely hard to have seen on a walkaround, even in broad daylight in ZZZ where we took over the aircraft. My best guess is that the damage may have been done 1 or more days prior to our flts. I feel that the first officer did a very thorough walkaround in ZZZ. I also feel that maintenance personnel would likely be the only ones that would have caught it, which was the case. I really don't know what we, as a flight crew, could have done differently to have caught the damage.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 CREW WAS INFORMED THE ACFT THAT THEY HAD FLOWN HAD LIGHTNING STRIKE DAMAGE THAT WAS DISCOVERED BY MAINT.
Narrative: LIGHTNING STRIKE DAMAGE ON ACFT. I WAS INFORMED BY A GND OPS AGENT IN ZZZ1 THAT THE ACFT WE HAD TERMINATED ON THE EVENING BEFORE WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT LIGHTNING STRIKE, RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VARIOUS AREAS ALONG THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE. AT NO TIME DURING OUR FLTS DID WE ENCOUNTER ANY LIGHTNING, OR ANY CONVECTIVE WX WHATSOEVER. THE ONLY CLOUDS WE HAD WERE SOME THIN LOW STRATUS TYPES AROUND MHT. WE OBSERVED NO AVIONICS PROBS, ELECTRICAL PROBS, OR ANY OTHER ANOMALIES. DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE STRIKE DAMAGE ALONG THE TOP OF THE ACFT FUSELAGE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HARD TO HAVE SEEN ON A WALKAROUND, EVEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN ZZZ WHERE WE TOOK OVER THE ACFT. MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE DAMAGE MAY HAVE BEEN DONE 1 OR MORE DAYS PRIOR TO OUR FLTS. I FEEL THAT THE FO DID A VERY THOROUGH WALKAROUND IN ZZZ. I ALSO FEEL THAT MAINT PERSONNEL WOULD LIKELY BE THE ONLY ONES THAT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT, WHICH WAS THE CASE. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE, AS A FLC, COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO HAVE CAUGHT THE DAMAGE.
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.