Lightning eats SSA Excom Minutes

Martin Gregorie wrote:
Mike the Strike wrote:
A severe positive ground flash blew a glider apart in
Britain a few years ago.

That was a K-21. The strike entered at one aileron push rod and traveled
to the other aileron push-rod, where it exited, through the spanwise
alloy push-rods and control linkage.

Ohmic heating in the control linkage produced a strong enough pressure
pulse to cut the fuselage in half and to blow out both canopies. The
skins were blown off both wings as well.

Did the pilots report noticing any sparks, tingling, or other
"electrification" before the strike? I've had lightning strike within a
mile of my glider without noticing any signs of it, before or after.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org

Eric Greenwell wrote:
Martin Gregorie wrote:
Mike the Strike wrote:
A severe positive ground flash blew a glider apart in
Britain a few years ago.

That was a K-21. The strike entered at one aileron push rod and
traveled to the other aileron push-rod, where it exited, through the
spanwise alloy push-rods and control linkage.

Ohmic heating in the control linkage produced a strong enough pressure
pulse to cut the fuselage in half and to blow out both canopies. The
skins were blown off both wings as well.

Did the pilots report noticing any sparks, tingling, or other
"electrification" before the strike? I've had lightning strike within a
mile of my glider without noticing any signs of it, before or after.

No, nothing reported by either pilot. Additional support them not being
directly or indirectly affected is that the AAIB report says that only
the aileron control system showed signs of damage from the strike: even
the airbrake system showed no signs of electrical damage and probably
didn't carry any current.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |