Paul,
Many thanks for giving details of your lightning strike incident. It
appears that the ground for your wing tip lights may have acted as a
diverter to prevent the lightning current passing through the controls and
ruining the entire day.
I see from the Europa Club membership list that you are running a Rotax 914.
When you say that things went pretty quiet because the main contactor
dropped off line, did this include the engine stopping because neither
electric fuel pump received any power, or did one fuel pump continue to work
with a supply direct from the alternator? Your wiring of an E-buss
(endurance/essential) circuit was presumably the only way to restore power
to what was left of your electronics once the main contactor had been
knocked out.
Once you have completed your investigation, apart from posting any further
details on this forum, it would be useful to publish the complete story in
the Europa Flyer, preferably with pictures. I am sure the new Editor, Peter
Grant, would appreciate your input to editor@europaclub.org.uk.
Best regards
Mike
Mike Gregory, Europa Club Safety Officer
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com
[mailto:owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com]On Behalf Of Paul McAllister
Subject: Europa-List: Lightnoing Strike
<paul.mcallister@qia.net>
Hi all,
I departed yesterday from KUES up to Canada. About 90 minutes into the trip
I took a lightning hit. The weather was forecasted VFR clear, however about
70 minutes into the trip I began to suspect all was "not as advertised". I
noticed a cloud about 15 miles of my port side this looked ominous so I
diverted away from it. I was about to call flight service when suddenly I
saw a bright flash on the tip of my starboard wind. The starboard side was
clear weather so I may have been struck from the port side, but it was hard
to tell. The main contactor dropped off line so things went pretty quite
until I kicked in the "E Buss" circuit.
Damage is as follows. The paint is blistered on the starboard wing tip and
the port side is only blackened. Internal inspection reveals no sign of
burning. The wind tip lights are destroyed with some of the screws melted.
My Narco 122 VOR/LOC/GS is destroyed, my Navaids the electronic fuel gauge,
the main battery contactor and the manifold pressure sensing input to the
EIS engine monitor. The Apollo GX 60 GPS/NAV/Com and transponder survived.
There appears to by no structural damage to the aircraft or welding of the
control elements. I will know more over the next few days. It appeared
that the lighting entered a wing tip, traveled along the common ground
between the LED wing tip lights and exited the other wing tip.
Paul
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