The effects of lightning can cause physical damage to personnel and equipment. In one case,lightning appeared to enter a Navy aircraft nose, travel down the right side, and exit on top ofthe right vertical tail. The pilot suffered from flash blindness for 10-15 seconds. Upon regaininghis vision, the pilot noticed all cockpit electrical power was gone. After another 15 seconds hadelapsed, all cockpit electrical power returned on its own, with no cockpit indications of anyequipment malfunction.In another case, lightning attached to the nose pitot tube, including transients that damaged all28 volt DC systems. The pilot, disoriented, broke out of a cloud bank at 2000 ft above theground, at 600 knots and a 45 degree dive. Nearly all cockpit instruments were dysfunctional -compass, gyrohorizon, and so forth. A secondary effect occurred but was not uncovered forseveral months. The lightning current path that carried the direct effects lightning current didwhat it was supposed to do, but the path was not inspected on landing.Over 800 man-hours were expended to correct electrical (28 volt DC) problems but no effectwent into inspecting for direct effects damage to ensure the lightning protection system wasintact. The rigid coax from the front of the radome to the bulkhead had elongated and nearlytorn away from its attachment point at the bulkhead due to magnetic forces involved. Thisdamage reduced the effectiveness of the designed lighting protection. Another secondary effectwas the magnetization of all ferrous material which caused severe compass errors.
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