On April 3rd, it was reported that a Japan Airlines flight from Miyazaki Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport was struck by lightning twice during ascent at 14:48 local time.
Subsequently, the aircraft altered its course urgently and successfully landed at Kansai International Airport in Osaka.
Reportedly, there were 113 passengers and 6 crew members on board, and fortunately, the incident did not result in any injuries. However, some passengers mentioned smelling a strong smoke odor inside the cabin. Despite landing safely, the aircraft did not catch fire. Currently, investigations are underway to determine if there was any damage to the aircraft.
It is understood that the hazards of lightning strikes on aircraft mainly involve the burning of the metal skin of the aircraft's fuselage, shattering of the aircraft's protection cover, electromagnetic interference with electrical instruments, communications, and navigation equipment, and in severe cases, may cause fuel tank explosions.
To mitigate these risks, aircraft are equipped with static discharge wicks installed at the wingtips. When the aircraft is struck by lightning, the current passes through the aircraft's skin, flows along the fuselage and wings, and ultimately discharges through the static discharge wicks, preventing harm to passengers inside the aircraft.
Furthermore, to prevent fuel tank explosions from lightning strikes, the tanks are designed with low impedance pathways to prevent excessive heat generation and subsequent explosions when current passes through.
However, the best practice to avoid lightning-related harm to aircraft is to actively avoid flying through thunderstorm areas whenever possible.
