From SKYbrary Wiki
| Summary
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| On 4th December 2003, a Dornier-228 approaching Bodo, Norway, was struck by Lightning and suffered damage to the elevator control. The crew were temporarily blinded and momentarily lost control of the aircraft but managed to crash land just short of the runway threshold.
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| Event Details
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| When
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December 2003
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| Event Type
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LOC, WX
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| Day/Night
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Night
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| Flight Conditions
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VMC
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| Flight Details
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| Aircraft
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FAIRCHILD DORNIER 228
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| Operator
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Kato Airline
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| Domicile
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Norway
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| Type of Flight
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Public Transport (Passenger)
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| Origin
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Røst
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| Intended Destination
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Bodø
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| Flight Phase
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Descent
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ENR / APR
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| Location - Airport
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| Airport
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Bodø
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| General
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| Tag(s)
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Approach not stabilised
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| LOC
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| Tag(s)
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Airframe Structural Failure
Environmental Factors
Unintended transitory terrain contact
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| WX
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| Tag(s)
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Strong Surface Winds
Lightning Damage
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| EPR
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| Tag(s)
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MAYDAY declaration
RFFS Procedures
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| Outcome
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| Damage or injury
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Yes
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| Aircraft damage
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Hull loss
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| Injuries
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Many occupants
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| Fatalities
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Nonewarning.png"None" is not in the list of possible values (Few occupants, Many occupants, Most or all occupants) for this property.
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| Causal Factor Group(s)
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| Group(s)
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Aircraft Operation
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| Safety Recommendation(s)
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| Group(s)
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Aircraft Operation
Aircraft Airworthiness
Air Traffic Management
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| Investigation Type
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| Type
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Independent
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Lightning Strike
Description
On 4th December 2003, a Dornier-228 approaching Bodø, Norway, was struck by lightning and suffered damage to the elevator control. The crew were temporarily blinded and momentarily lost control of the aircraft but managed to crash land just short of the runway threshold.
Synopsis
This is an extract of the summary from the Norwegian accident report:
"Kato Airline flight KAT603, a…Dornier-228-202…was to fly a regular scheduled flight from Røst airport to Bodø airport. There were two passengers and two pilots on board. There was a strong westerly wind, and when the plane approached Bodø extensive lightning activity developed quickly. The aircraft was struck by a very powerful lightning. The lightning struck the aircraft’s nose area and passed to the tail. Boundings between the fuselage and tail surface and a wire between the tail surface and the elevator were burned off. A powerful electric energy passed through the elevator rod in the tail section. A rod-end came loose, resulting in a breach in the control rod. Thus the only connection between the control column in the cockpit and the elevator was lost. This aircraft type has electric pitch trim which adjusts the tail surface angle of attack and after a period the pilots regained limited control of the aircraft’s nose position by using this. When the lightning struck the aircraft, the pilots were blinded for approximately 30 seconds. They lost control of the aircraft for a period and the aircraft came very close to stalling. The pilots declared an emergency. The aircraft’s remaining systems were intact and the pilots succeeded in bringing the plane in for landing. During the first landing attempt the airspeed was somewhat high. The aircraft hit the ground in an approximate three-point position and bounced into the air. The pilots concluded that the landing was uncontrollable because the elevator was not working. The landing was aborted and the aircraft circled for a new attempt. Wind conditions were difficult and the next attempt was also unstable in terms of height and speed. At short final the aircraft nosed down and the pilots barely managed to flare a little before the aircraft hit the ground. The point of impact was a few metres before the runway and the aircraft slid onto the runway. Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene. The two pilots were seriously injured while both passengers suffered only minor physical injuries. No fuel leakage or fire occurred. The aircraft was written off. There is reason to believe that the total amount of energy in the lightning exceeded the values of the construction specifications. The investigation has uncovered that up to 30% of the wiring in essential boundings in the tail may have been defective before lightning struck. Other relevant safety issues that are discussed in the report are the need for increased focus on maintenance and the optimum use of airborne weather radars. The investigation has further uncovered a need for better presentation of information from ground-based weather radars by the air traffic control service."
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