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Lightning --> Airplane ... what happens next?
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| UglyDave |
yo dudes.
while recently flying from sydney to bangkok, i looked out the window and saw some savage lightning. Looks great from the ground but i have to say it's a little scary when you're about 6 miles from the ground.
Do aeroplanes have any mechanisms installed that would prevent disaster if a plane were struck?? ..big six mile cable to earth it maybe??
Have there been any / many cases where planes have crashed due to getting hit by lightning?
David |
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| enferno |
| usually planes flight above the ceiling that lightening/thunderstorms are at, so no worries. |
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| TweeK |
| Im sure we all heard, "your more likely to get into a car crash, and an Airplane crash" |
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| BeatFreak |
| quote: | Originally posted by TweeK
Im sure we all heard, "your more likely to get into a car crash, and an Airplane crash" |
a car crash AND an airplane crash!? ! |
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| UglyDave |
good old google:
http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae568.cfm
well, last night i was travelling by bus from koh samui to bangkok and jesus u shoulda seen the lightning storms.. absolutly amazing looking, but not the kinda weather you want while flying !!
but that atricle states that there haven't been any aeroplane vs. lightning crashes since 1967 :)
..in which case the fueltank exploded :wtf:
wish me luck in my bangkok - london flight tonight at 23:20 :)
flight no. BA010 (QF301)
if you hear that it crashed - you'll be pertty sure i'm dead :)
wish me luck :) |
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| stren |
| good luck, and also good luck to my TOTA buddies who took off for Warsaw > London > Toronto just an hour ago |
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| PhloTron |
We have airplanes hit all the time by lightning....hell there is a phenomena called "airplane induced lightning" where the aircraft causes the extra static electricity needed to cause a strike.
Though 99% of strikes cause no problem to the airplanes flying ability, it A) scares the out of you, B) Makes a loud noise, C) has to be inspected upon landing.
Most cases may cause an electrical surge that usually involve resetting a generator or two. There is usually and entry hole and exit marks that need repair or a look over (usually through static ports or rivets on the wing or tail, and on occasion replacement of a full part. Our last strike needed aileron replacement after it fused some components together.
There are far worse things out there for us than lightning... But seeing glowing balls of St. Elmo's fire travel down the isle ... now that's inflight entertainment.
I don't look forward to the next strike I get...but I know it's comin.
-A message from your TA airline pilot. |
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| butterfly |
that's so morbid david! i hope it is a nice smooth flight. get home safe. :) |
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