Narrative:

I; the dispatcher; received a call from flight X sea-yvr. The first officer said they had been hit by lightning and was adamant about returning to field (which was also their alternate sea). The flight was diverted for safety/maintenance reasons and the dispatcher asked the captain to call when he got on the ground. After the diversion; the flight manager; who was handling the DH8B's; was notified that flight was diverted due to the lightning strike. The flight manager told the dispatcher that she did not have 'permission' to divert that flight and that she was wrong to divert it. She was told that he (flight manager) had spoken to maintenance control and it was ok to continue to destination because it only required a maintenance check for the lightning strike. When the captain called dispatch; he was asked to explain the chain of events regarding the lightning strike. He said the first officer SELCAL'ed maintenance control after they were hit by lightning (approximately 9000 ft on climb out) and discussed the situation with him (the master caution light was illuminated among other things). The captain asked maintenance control if they should return to field. Maintenance control said that the decision was between the dispatcher and the captain. He asked if they could be connected to their dispatcher. The captain said maintenance control said he would contact dispatch to tell the dispatcher to call him. (The dispatcher responsible for the safety of the flight was never notified.) after speaking to maintenance control; the dispatcher was told that the flight manager was contacted about the flight. However; the dispatcher was never alerted to the fact that she had a crew/flight in distress. The dispatcher spoke with sea maintenance. He indicated that the aircraft was not airworthy at this time and they are waiting for some information from the manufacturer (bombardier) regarding the damage to the aircraft for a maintenance ferry permit to pdx. The aircraft is still OTS at this point with the following damage: the radome has 12 burn/scorch marks. The r-hand aileron outboard end cap mounting rivets have arcing damage. The outboard aileron static wick is burned off with damage to the mounting base. The aileron end cap fiberglass is blistered. 14 static wicks failed tests. There is damage to the rivets on the right side windshield that continue on to the escape hatch. Note: this is a partial list of the damage as the aircraft is still subject to further maintenance checks.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF DHC8 RETURN TO DEP ARPT AFTER LIGHTNING STRIKE DAMAGE ON DEP.

Narrative: I; THE DISPATCHER; RECEIVED A CALL FROM FLT X SEA-YVR. THE FO SAID THEY HAD BEEN HIT BY LIGHTNING AND WAS ADAMANT ABOUT RETURNING TO FIELD (WHICH WAS ALSO THEIR ALTERNATE SEA). THE FLT WAS DIVERTED FOR SAFETY/MAINT REASONS AND THE DISPATCHER ASKED THE CAPT TO CALL WHEN HE GOT ON THE GND. AFTER THE DIVERSION; THE FLT MGR; WHO WAS HANDLING THE DH8B'S; WAS NOTIFIED THAT FLT WAS DIVERTED DUE TO THE LIGHTNING STRIKE. THE FLT MGR TOLD THE DISPATCHER THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE 'PERMISSION' TO DIVERT THAT FLT AND THAT SHE WAS WRONG TO DIVERT IT. SHE WAS TOLD THAT HE (FLT MGR) HAD SPOKEN TO MAINT CTL AND IT WAS OK TO CONTINUE TO DEST BECAUSE IT ONLY REQUIRED A MAINT CHK FOR THE LIGHTNING STRIKE. WHEN THE CAPT CALLED DISPATCH; HE WAS ASKED TO EXPLAIN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS REGARDING THE LIGHTNING STRIKE. HE SAID THE FO SELCAL'ED MAINT CTL AFTER THEY WERE HIT BY LIGHTNING (APPROX 9000 FT ON CLBOUT) AND DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH HIM (THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AMONG OTHER THINGS). THE CAPT ASKED MAINT CTL IF THEY SHOULD RETURN TO FIELD. MAINT CTL SAID THAT THE DECISION WAS BTWN THE DISPATCHER AND THE CAPT. HE ASKED IF THEY COULD BE CONNECTED TO THEIR DISPATCHER. THE CAPT SAID MAINT CTL SAID HE WOULD CONTACT DISPATCH TO TELL THE DISPATCHER TO CALL HIM. (THE DISPATCHER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS NEVER NOTIFIED.) AFTER SPEAKING TO MAINT CTL; THE DISPATCHER WAS TOLD THAT THE FLT MGR WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FLT. HOWEVER; THE DISPATCHER WAS NEVER ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT SHE HAD A CREW/FLT IN DISTRESS. THE DISPATCHER SPOKE WITH SEA MAINT. HE INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY AT THIS TIME AND THEY ARE WAITING FOR SOME INFO FROM THE MANUFACTURER (BOMBARDIER) REGARDING THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT FOR A MAINT FERRY PERMIT TO PDX. THE ACFT IS STILL OTS AT THIS POINT WITH THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE: THE RADOME HAS 12 BURN/SCORCH MARKS. THE R-HAND AILERON OUTBOARD END CAP MOUNTING RIVETS HAVE ARCING DAMAGE. THE OUTBOARD AILERON STATIC WICK IS BURNED OFF WITH DAMAGE TO THE MOUNTING BASE. THE AILERON END CAP FIBERGLASS IS BLISTERED. 14 STATIC WICKS FAILED TESTS. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE RIVETS ON THE R SIDE WINDSHIELD THAT CONTINUE ON TO THE ESCAPE HATCH. NOTE: THIS IS A PARTIAL LIST OF THE DAMAGE AS THE ACFT IS STILL SUBJECT TO FURTHER MAINT CHKS.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.