How does an airplane avoid lightning when flying through a storm?

Question

I once flew through a storm and the lightning was occurring not so far. I guess if lightning strikes an engine, the plane will fall.

Answer 1

Lightning hits airplanes pretty often. It doesn't need to be avoided and it doesn't cause the engines to fail.

Answer 2

Modern aeroplanes, especially passenger airliners are designed to be impervious to lightning strikes which are essentially big sparks.

The plane will attract them because as a conductor it represents a "short-cut" allowing the charge to bridge shorter gaps, forming a sort of minimum energy path.

The greatest risk is that a spark will happen inside the fuel-tanks and this must be designed against, having said this, the metal skin of the aircraft conducts the electricity around the passengers so there is no risk of electrocution whatsoever, especially as the interiors of the plane are in turn NON-conductors.

As for burning holes in things, the reason that might happen is because of a high current-density. A lot of electrons moving through a small cross-sectional area. Heat generated (power dissipated) is proportional to the suqare of current, so one can simulate the aircrafts electrical properties to ensure than no one place is every loaded with sufficient current to burn a hole in it due to a strike at any other place. To ensure no hole where the strike occurs, one would have to make the resistance low enough such that the exact contact-point on the surface had a tolerable product I squared R in the event of a credible lightning strike.

There is no "physical" force in the impact.

Lightning strike on the engine should really not be any problem at all. Even if the strike hit a fan-blade, those are thicker and stronger than the plane's skin anyway so they are even less likely to be damaged.

Answer 3

Avoid the storm.


Nope, the average airplane is struck by lightning twice a year. It helps burn the fuel more efficiently. When you are struck the fuel mixture becomes that much closer to the 14 to 1 desire stochio.

Just kidding. No worries. Storms provide more concern in the way of wind, downdrafts, and shear than bolts.

Answer 4

Some airplanes have what is called a storm scope in them, they shows lightning, and strong weather area's. This helps the pilot avoid the situation, but overall the aircraft is surge protected, and it has what are called static wicks, that absorb the electricity.

Answer 5

Planes don't avoid lightening. In many many instances lightening will hit a plane with no problems because they are equipped to handle the sudden surge in electricity without engines failing and without anyone being electrocuted. I have a friends who's dad flys extremely often. His plane has been hit on three separate occasions and there has never been a problem.

Answer 6

It doesn't, that is why it nice to avoid thunderstorm areas, including the turbulence. I've been hit on the nose and wing tip on separate trips. The nose hit (happened twice) actually came out the tail and burn the tale cap off. The wing tip hip took about a 4 inch piece of aluminum. Neither was fun or expected at the time.

Answer 7

An aircraft getting hit by lightning is a fairly common occurrence. Only once have i seen it cause significant damage. I worked on a Cessna 414 once that was hit and it took out all of his comm antennas, damaged the top of the vertical stab, and blew a dime sized hole in his left fuel tank. Aircraft was able to land safely.

Answer 8

You aren't supposed to fly within 20 miles of convestive activity (A thunderstorm) but that isn't always posible since they can spring up so fast. Any aircraft certified to fly in the clouds (IMF we pilots call it) has soem method to discharge lightning or static charge buildup. In larger aircraft you can see it at the end of the wings and tail as rubber covered metal tubes called wicks. In smaller aircraft the airframe is designed to absorb the blow of the shock.

Answer 9

Pilots can avoid being hit by lightning by avoiding storms. But when they do fly through them, there is no way to tell if you are going to get hit. There has been many cases of lightning strikes on planes,and usually electrical systems on board get damaged or burned.

Answer 10

I think its frame protects it by not allowing the lightening to go inside the plane. It acts as a shield.