Lightning Strikes on Airplanes
Electricity in the clouds has been a fascination and a peril to those so bold. Just in the United States, lightning strikes about 25 million times a year and kills people every year. In the Asia Pacific the number of lightning strikes is probably higher. Based on reliable sources of information, lightning strikes on commercial planes are daily occurrences but, however, nobody gets injured.
That frightening figure, somewhat, has some people asking : Is it safe to fly in lightning? The answer is a resounding, “YES, SAFE FLIGHT”.
Standard commercial airplanes are designed to take lightning strikes. For safety reasons, airplanes will avoid the thunderstorm cells but the lightning bolt can travel many miles out of the thunderstorm cloud. Planes are intricately designed machines and manufacturers pay particular attention to electrical wiring to avoid any damages in case of lightning strike.
Electrical parts inside the aircraft are carefully grounded to prevent the formation of electric arcs which could threaten a plane’s safety. Therefore, planes hit by lightning mid-flight can continue flying safety, leading to an inspection after landing but, in most cases, the aircraft is either unharmed or sustains only minor damage.
Lightning typically strikes a relatively sharp edge of a plane, like a wingtip or nose and the current exits via the tail, thanks to some devices installed in the sharp edges of the planes designed to discharge the electricity. This happens because an aircraft’s fuselage or aircraft body, acts as a faraday cage (a container that blocks electromagnetic fields). Energy and electric charge from the lightning bolt run around the outside of the vessel, protecting the interior from any voltage.
Today’s airliners like the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, that equip Lion Air group fleets are made with a higher proportion of composite materials like carbon fibers, resulting in a reduced electrical conductivity of the fuselage and wings. Manufacturers have also developed a workaround by adding more metal wiring into the composite material to ensure good conductivity on the aircraft’s exterior.
Lightning strikes are not a problem from a safety standpoint even though the commercial flights fly around stormy areas, to prevent turbulence, hail rather and any lightning strike. I hope this information will help you relax and enjoy more your flight. Have a safe and pleasant flight.
Reference : Capt. Jose Fernandez, magazine of lion air group
That frightening figure, somewhat, has some people asking : Is it safe to fly in lightning? The answer is a resounding, “YES, SAFE FLIGHT”.
Standard commercial airplanes are designed to take lightning strikes. For safety reasons, airplanes will avoid the thunderstorm cells but the lightning bolt can travel many miles out of the thunderstorm cloud. Planes are intricately designed machines and manufacturers pay particular attention to electrical wiring to avoid any damages in case of lightning strike.
Electrical parts inside the aircraft are carefully grounded to prevent the formation of electric arcs which could threaten a plane’s safety. Therefore, planes hit by lightning mid-flight can continue flying safety, leading to an inspection after landing but, in most cases, the aircraft is either unharmed or sustains only minor damage.
Lightning typically strikes a relatively sharp edge of a plane, like a wingtip or nose and the current exits via the tail, thanks to some devices installed in the sharp edges of the planes designed to discharge the electricity. This happens because an aircraft’s fuselage or aircraft body, acts as a faraday cage (a container that blocks electromagnetic fields). Energy and electric charge from the lightning bolt run around the outside of the vessel, protecting the interior from any voltage.
Today’s airliners like the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320, that equip Lion Air group fleets are made with a higher proportion of composite materials like carbon fibers, resulting in a reduced electrical conductivity of the fuselage and wings. Manufacturers have also developed a workaround by adding more metal wiring into the composite material to ensure good conductivity on the aircraft’s exterior.
Lightning strikes are not a problem from a safety standpoint even though the commercial flights fly around stormy areas, to prevent turbulence, hail rather and any lightning strike. I hope this information will help you relax and enjoy more your flight. Have a safe and pleasant flight.
Reference : Capt. Jose Fernandez, magazine of lion air group
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