What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 12, 2018, at approximately 16:00 local, republic airline flight 5879 (dba delta connection), an Embraer ERJ-170-100SU, N872RW, sn 17000143, encountered a lightning strike during climb. The event occurred on departure 15 miles west of Buffalo international airport (buf), NY at approximately 7000 feet. The crew declared an emergency and returned to buf uneventfully. Company weather indicated visual meteorological conditions with scattered showers and no indications of lightning at the time of the incident. Shortly after takeoff and climbing through 7000 feet, the aircraft encountered a lightning strike. The pilot said in his report, it sounded like a loud gun shot heard throughout the main cabin. The pilot also said he saw bright flashes on his windshield. He further said the aircraft was intact and all instruments were functioning properly. The crew declared an emergency, returned to field at buf, landed, and taxied uneventfully to the gate.
Republic airline?s contract maintenance personnel in buf performed a lightning strike inspection noting damage to the left wing tip and left forward lower fuselage at stringer 8. The airline relocated the aircraft to their maintenance base at columbus international airport (cmh), oh using their special flight permit with continuous authorization to conduct ferry flights to accomplish repairs. Republic airline maintenance personnel performed ndt evaluations of numerous burn marks along left side of fuselage, finding minor damage to the top coat of the paint, damaged rivets, and minor skin damage. Maintenance personnel performed minor structural repairs, replaced several rivets, upper UHF antenna, repaired the forward fuselage and the wingtip. They returned the aircraft back to service on April 14, 2018.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 12, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 16:00 LOCAL, REPUBLIC AIRLINE FLIGHT 5879 (DBA DELTA CONNECTION), AN EMBRAER ERJ-170-100SU, N872RW, SN 17000143, ENCOUNTERED A LIGHTNING STRIKE DURING CLIMB. THE EVENT OCCURRED ON DEPARTURE 15 MILES WEST OF BUFFALO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BUF), NY AT APPROXIMATELY 7000 FEET. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO BUF UNEVENTFULLY. COMPANY WEATHER INDICATED VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND NO INDICATIONS OF LIGHTNING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND CLIMBING THROUGH 7000 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A LIGHTNING STRIKE. THE PILOT SAID IN HIS REPORT, IT SOUNDED LIKE A LOUD GUN SHOT HEARD THROUGHOUT THE MAIN CABIN. THE PILOT ALSO SAID HE SAW BRIGHT FLASHES ON HIS WINDSHIELD. HE FURTHER SAID THE AIRCRAFT WAS INTACT AND ALL INSTRUMENTS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, RETURNED TO FIELD AT BUF, LANDED, AND TAXIED UNEVENTFULLY TO THE GATE.
REPUBLIC AIRLINE?S CONTRACT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL IN BUF PERFORMED A LIGHTNING STRIKE INSPECTION NOTING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING TIP AND LEFT FORWARD LOWER FUSELAGE AT STRINGER 8. THE AIRLINE RELOCATED THE AIRCRAFT TO THEIR MAINTENANCE BASE AT COLUMBUS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CMH), OH USING THEIR SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT WITH CONTINUOUS AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT FERRY FLIGHTS TO ACCOMPLISH REPAIRS. REPUBLIC AIRLINE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL PERFORMED NDT EVALUATIONS OF NUMEROUS BURN MARKS ALONG LEFT SIDE OF FUSELAGE, FINDING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE TOP COAT OF THE PAINT, DAMAGED RIVETS, AND MINOR SKIN DAMAGE. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL PERFORMED MINOR STRUCTURAL REPAIRS, REPLACED SEVERAL RIVETS, UPPER UHF ANTENNA, REPAIRED THE FORWARD FUSELAGE AND THE WINGTIP. THEY RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO SERVICE ON APRIL 14, 2018.