TIL a lightning strike at O'Hare back in 2019 changed how I ground planes for good

I was working a late shift at O'Hare in July 2019 when a big storm rolled in fast. We had a 737 on the ramp that took a direct hit to the static wick on the left wing. The surge went right through the bonding strap and fried the VOR receiver in the cockpit. The lead tech told me 'that strap is your best friend until it isn't.' After that night, I started double checking every ground cable connection before storms hit. I also make sure I use shielded grounding clamps now instead of the cheap ones we had back then. We replaced three avionics boxes on that bird and the bill was over 40 grand. Has anyone else seen a lightning hit take out something unexpected like a transponder or a radio?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_nelson1mo ago

that strap is your best friend until it isn't" - yeah I learned that lesson on a golf course. Not a plane but I was holding a metal club during a storm. Stupid mistake. Fried my rangefinder and my hand went numb for an hour.

richard_anderson1mo ago

Storms and metal objects just don't mix, it's a hard lesson that only takes one time to learn.

taraanderson29d agoMost Upvoted

I read somewhere that the FAA did a study on lightning strikes and found most of the damage happens in the bonding straps and static wicks just like you described. One of their reports said a 747 can take a hit and have all four engines go into a weird failsafe mode because the surge messes with the digital engine controls. That 40k bill sounds about right, I remember hearing a story about a regional jet that got zapped and the whole autopilot system had to be ripped out and replaced.