Description

In practice, aircraft are frequently hit by lightning with little or no physical damage. Aircraft are normally designed and certified to withstand lightning strikes. However, narrow-bodied aircraft equipped with FADEC controlled, aft fuselage mounted engines have been found to be vulnerable to double engine flame-out in the event of a lightning strike.

Aero-thermal Effects

In the event of a lightning strike, lightning effects can sweep longitudinally down both sides of a narrow fuselage and affect the intake flows of both engines of a narrow-bodied aircraft, where the engines are necessarily mounted close to the fuselage sides (typical of many combat aircraft and all aft-engined business jet and airliner types). A risk therefore exists of a single lightning strike causing both engines to flame-out as a result of Aero-thermal effects.