Lightning Strike Monday 24/06/13 Leaving Sydney

[Cossie]

As we left Sydney on Monday evening during a fairly bad storm the DASH 8 that we were on was struck by lightning, I had my eyes closed at the time, but it I'm sure the flash nearly burned a hole in my retinas!

We returned to Sydney and were put on a later flight to Canberra.

The amusing thing is that we were originally meant to be on the 1830 flight but asked to be transferred to the earlier flight as it didn't take as long to go through Customs/Immigration as I thought it would. If we hadn't opted for the earlier flight we would have made into Canberra about 1 and a half hours earlier than we eventually did!

We were met by a fire engine on returning to Sydney, but didn't have to do an emergency evacuation, which was good as it was really bucketing down! Aircrew were very professional and apologised profusely, not their fault, these things happen.

Anyone else on that flight (QF1493)? Anyone else been struck by lightning?

 

[eastwest101]

As we left Sydney on Monday evening during a fairly bad storm the DASH 8 that we were on was struck by lightning, I had my eyes closed at the time, but it I'm sure the flash nearly burned a hole in my retinas!...

Was it loud?

 

[Cossie]

Quite a loud bang, at first I thought that someone's reading light had exploded, I meant to have a look at the area of the plane that it stuck as we were getting off, but I was more concerned in getting to the awning and up the stairs so as to not get too wet!

Gave us time to go up to the lounge which we hadn't managed to do before the flight.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Customs/Immigration from SYD to CBR ?

 

[markis10]

Customs/Immigration from SYD to CBR ?

The OP was coming from an international connection.

 

[SeatBackForward]

The OP was coming from an international connection.

Oh I see.

Always the irony of getting an earlier flight to arrive later.

 

[DC3]

I remember lightning striking a 747 that I was on once, on approach to SYD, coming back from LAX. The Captain came on the PA and confirmed what had happened and reassured everyone that all was OK and that this happens from time to time.

 

[arbo]

Customs/Immigration from SYD to CBR ?

Don't you have to present your passport too on the way to Canberra?

 

[jb747]

I wonder why they returned? Strikes are almost always non events, and happen quite a bit.

 

[Boris spatsky]

I wonder why they returned? Strikes are almost always non events, and happen quite a bit.

I used to fly multi turboprops a while back and the first thing to die in a lightning strike was always the weather radar, which made it pretty hard to continue in some cases when you can't get above FL250 or thereabouts.

 

[Cossie]

I used to fly multi turboprops a while back and the first thing to die in a lightning strike was always the weather radar, which made it pretty hard to continue in some cases when you can't get above FL250 or thereabouts.

The pilot did say that the weather was closing in, so that was probably the reason.

 

[straitman]

I wonder why they returned? Strikes are almost always non events, and happen quite a bit.

I used to fly multi turboprops a while back and the first thing to die in a lightning strike was always the weather radar, which made it pretty hard to continue in some cases when you can't get above FL250 or thereabouts.

The pilot did say that the weather was closing in, so that was probably the reason.

I'm with jb747 on this one. The return does seem unusual. Many a/c operate without weather radar and it is very unlikely that if the weather radar was damaged that it would be an MEL item. Regarding the weather closing in that would only be an issue if the CBR weather had a new forecast (or sig change) since departure.

 

[Boris spatsky]

I'm with jb747 on this one. The return does seem unusual. Many a/c operate without weather radar and it is very unlikely that if the weather radar was damaged that it would be an MEL item. Regarding the weather closing in that would only be an issue if the CBR weather had a new forecast (or sig change) since departure.

Flying through a line of embedded CBs with no weather radar is not fun. Been there, done that. The second time it happened to me, Approach vectored us straight through a cell.