Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 N42NC

Summary

On 16 June 2005 at about 07:45 local time, a Aerospatiale ATR-42-300 registered N42NC, operated by Northern Air Cargo Inc, was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 June 2005 at 07:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.2099, -149.8896

Aircraft

Aerospatiale ATR-42-300

Registration

N42NC

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Northern Air Cargo Inc

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairbanks → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ANC05LA088

Nobody was injured.

A lightning strike during a normal descent for landing, which resulted in structural damage to the airplane's left aileron.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Title 14, CFR Part 121 cargo flight was about 32 miles north of the destination airport, descending for landing in instrument meteorological conditions, when it was struck by lightning. The radar and several electrical systems were knocked off-line by the strike. Most of the systems were restored, and the airplane landed without incident. The pilot reported that after takeoff, they deviated around a thunderstorm, and that there were numerous thunderstorms in the area. The pilot said after clearing the thunderstorm, they were flying in clear air. He said along the route, most of the observed thunderstorms were behind them, and that they entered instrument meteorological conditions in a large area of cloud cover. As they started a normal descent for the destination airport in smooth air, he indicated that he and the first officer simultaneously noticed that the radio magnetic indicator needles "spun around in different directions," and that an "instant later" they were struck by lightning. He did not indicate what was observed on the radar screen. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies prior to the lightning strike. Portions of the left aileron's lightning strike protection were de-bonded by the strike, and the aileron was replaced.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.