# Incident 20180412003609I: Embraer ERJ 170-100SU, Buffalo, NY, April 12, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 12, 2018, 16:00 local time
- Place: Buffalo, NY
- Airport: Buffalo Niagara International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: Air carrier (Part 121)
- Operator: R61A
- Location: 42.9404° N, 78.7306° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BUFFALO NIAGARA INTL (BUF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.9404&lon=-78.7306&mi=10
- Aircraft: N872RW (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: EMBRAER ERJ 170-100SU
- Reported engine: GE CF34-8E5
- People aboard: 65
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 6,605 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180412003609I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.