Lightning Strikes

Statistics seem to show that commercial aircraft are struck by lightening about once a year.  Since airplanes fly more than people do, the average line pilot may have a lightening strike every 5-10 years.  And since military air crew fly far less than line pilots, their MTBLS (Mean Time Betweeen Lightning Strikes) may experience only one over a flying career.

And since lightning strikes vary in intensity and are variable in their effect, it's hard to train for these rare effects.

Set the wayback machine in the mid-70's.  Flying as a navigator on a P-3 Oroin with VP-68 out of NAS Patuxent River.  Our misison was to conduct an antisubmarine  patrol out over the Atlantic.   At the time, there was concern the Soviets might place their ballistic missile submaines in this area.  Flight time form their operating area to Washington DC, Norfolk, and other miltary insallatins would be extreme short.  The intent might be to "decapitate" the US government before a nuclear response could be ordered. So the presence of a Soviet sub in area,  it would be an extremely provocative act.  So the Navy liked to keep an eye on this area.  In addition to airborne (and submarine) antisubmarine platforms, the Navy has acousstics sonor arrays on the seabed that are always listening.  So the area was well covered. 

 This was a daytime flight for once.  Since patrols tend to long, some or usually takes place at night. We were finishing our patrol and climbing back to altitude for our return to base.  Our operation was well outside the US ADIZ (Air Defense Interception Zone) so our first task was to contact our flight following services and set up procedures for penetrating the ADIZ.  In addition to identifying ourselfves as friendlies, this procedure was necessary to integate into the continential air traffic control centers.  Mid air collisions will ruin your whole day.

During the climb out some of us noticed a very short noiseless flash that seemed to be inside the aircraft.  Wondered what it was until someone suggested a lightning  strike, my first.  

The airplane didn't seem to be affected at all:  engines, flight controls, instruments all seemed fine.

So to resume our ADIZ penetration, we tried to contact the Patrol Wing center at Bruswick, ME over the High Frequency  (HF) radio.  No response. We were out of range for our usual VHF and UHF radios, used for FAA air traffic control.  OK, we have two HF radios, let's try the second.  No luck either. Furthermore, even HF3, our receive only set, was out as well.  Clearly, the lightening or whatever it was had damages all three sets.

What to do?   Well, there is a procedure for this.  Proceed under visual flight rules to your planned ADIZ prenetration point, and contact ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center) on your VHF or UHF radios when within range.  Problem was, conditions were IFR- instrument flight rules.  Everything to the west was clouded up.  

Fortunately, the P3 is economical on fuel and carries a lot of it.  So we headed south until the weather improved.  Starting out eastward of the Delmarva peninsula, we had to fly down on the Carolinas to find a clear area to make our ADIZ penetration, which was accomplished without any difficulties.