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What Happens If Lightning Hits a Plane?

2 min read

The short answer

Lightning strikes on planes are common and well understood: each airliner is struck about once a year on average. Planes are built so the current travels along the outside and leaves again. You might see a flash and hear a bang, and then the flight carries on.

Common, and Planned For

On average, each airliner is struck by lightning about once a year. That may sound a lot, but it's no surprise to anyone in aviation. Planes are designed, tested and approved with lightning in mind.

Often, the plane starts the strike itself. Flying through a charged cloud can set off a flash that might not have happened otherwise. That's one reason strikes are so common, and why planes are built for them.

Most strikes happen while climbing or descending, between about 5,000 and 15,000 feet.

Where the Electricity Goes

Lightning usually touches the plane at one tip, such as the nose or a wingtip. It travels along the outside and leaves from another tip, often the tail. The plane's structure is built to carry the current safely from one point to the other.

Newer planes made partly from carbon fibre have thin metal foil or mesh built into their skin. So they carry the current in the same way.

Built In, Not Added On

Safety rules require every airliner to be protected from lightning. That includes:

  • The fuel tanks, which must be specially protected against lightning.
  • The electrical systems, whose wiring is shielded and tested.
  • The skin and joints, bonded together so the current has a clear path.

What You Might See and Hear

If lightning reaches your plane, you may see a bright flash and hear a loud bang. It's startling, but it's over in a moment. Then the flight carries on.

Pilots also do their best to avoid lightning altogether. They steer well around storms on radar, at least 20 miles from strong ones. Read flying and thunderstorms.

After Landing

The crew note the strike in the plane's logbook. Engineers then inspect the plane carefully, especially where the lightning touched it. Any small marks are repaired as needed.

That inspection is a big reason airlines avoid lightning: it can delay the next flight. It's a question of time and cost, not of the plane coping.

The Takeaway

Lightning is part of flying, and planes are built for it. Serious problems from lightning are extremely rare. If it happens on your flight, expect a flash, a bang and a story to tell.

Sources

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