Solid-as-a-rock A380 aircraft struck… by lightning!

It is not uncommon for aircraft to be struck by lightning but this super heavy Emirates Airbus A380 got hit by a jagged bolt of lightning right over the pilot’s seats.

A huge amount of electric energy must have passed through the airframe of the aircraft during its approach at London Heathrow last week. Amazingly the commercial aircraft escaped damage, and nobody was hurt.

Is it any wonder this airplane may sustain such a stress in a clap of thunder? The size and the nature of the A380 airframe seems to be the right solution to such hazards. Thanks to its thick metal structure, the plane behaved as a perfect Faraday cage:

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail

TSUNAMI WARNING for Chile, Peru, and Ecuador after 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Cauquenes, Chile – Between Santiago and Concepcion


View Larger Map

BREAKING NEWS – Saturday, February 27th, 2010

A tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck 197 miles (317 kilometers) southwest of Santiago, and at a depth of 36.9 miles (59.4 kilometers) at 3:34 a.m. (0634 GMT; 1:34 a.m. EST). Shaken and collapsed buildings have been reported in the capital, Santiago. Communications are down. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Chile and Peru, and a less-urgent tsunami watch for Ecuador.

Facebooktwitterlinkedinmail