Embraer EMB-145EP, G-RJXG, 25 September 2001
Embraer EMB-145EP, G-RJXG
Summary:
The aircraft was carrying out a scheduled flight from Aberdeen to Manchester. The commander, who was the handling pilot, reported that during the flight the weather radar was displaying weak returns of cumulonimbus cloud activity, but he manoeuvred the aircraft in order to avoid the affected areas, primarily by visual means. He accepted radar vectors to position the aircraft downwind for the landing runway. Just as the aircraft entered cloud, a lightning strike occurred. The commander subsequently reported that there was neither turbulence nor significant precipitation at that time. Recorded data indicated that the aircraft was close to Flight Level (FL) 70 at the time with a low thrust setting. The first officer informed the commander that he had observed a left engine over-temperature indication. Within 5 to 10 seconds of the strike, both crew members noted that the left engine operating parameters were decreasing rapidly. They were not aware of any warning or caution indications at the time. A distress call was broadcast and checklist procedures for both engine failure and single engined approach were carried out. An uneventful single engined landing then took place at 1415 hrs.
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