Originally Posted by
DL4EVAH
I'm glad you're ok. At the risk of crossing into OT territory-- what happens to a plane when it gets hit by lightning? This has been one of my deepest fears when flying to Florida during the summer thunderstorm season.
And why was/were the FA freaking out??
We were initial approach through rough air on a CRJ-200, if you weren't belted in, you would have hit the ceiling. Suddenly there was a flash and a loud "pop" sound. A few of us recogonized that it was a lightning strike. From the passenger perspective, everything was fine. It is my understanding that planes are well protected and prepared for lightning strikes. During this, I could see the FA sitting there, quite nervous and praying. Everybody else on the plane was fine, just hanging on because of the rough air.
Once we landed, the FA annouced "if you're wondering about the lightning, our plane was hit, but we are blessed as these planes have systems to protect the plane. It is a blessed day, I hope everybody has a blessed did." When deplaning, the pilots usually greet, but it seems both were busy going over their systems in the cockpit. *While, there was no communication between the pilot and passengers after the lightning strike, as the pilots were busy with the approach through the clouds, there was talk between pilots and the FA.
A great article about from Scientific American
"What happens when lightning strikes an airplane?"
It is estimated that on average, each airplane in the U.S. commercial fleet is struck lightly by lightning more than once each year. In fact, aircraft often trigger lightning when flying through a heavily charged region of a cloud. In these instances, the lightning flash originates at the airplane and extends away in opposite directions.
...
The last confirmed commercial plane crash in the U.S. directly attributed to lightning occurred in 1967, when lightning caused a catastrophic fuel tank explosion. Since then, much has been learned about how lightning can affect airplanes. As a result, protection techniques have improved. Today, airplanes receive a rigorous set of lightning certification tests to verify the safety of their designs.