Aircraft Lightning Strike Inspection Threshold Method

Solution Overview

Problem

Current practices require aircraft to be grounded for extensive inspections after a lightning strike, leading to costly delays and unnecessary disruptions, as many strikes result in no detectable damage, and existing methods are overly restrictive.

Innovation Solution

A method using historical data and engineering analysis to determine a threshold number of flights an aircraft can safely operate before a full inspection, allowing for a limited post-lightning strike inspection to assess damage and safely return the aircraft to service, reducing the need for immediate extended conditional inspections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an extended conditional inspection is performed after a lightning strike, then the safety and reliability of the aircraft is ensured, but the aircraft operation time is significantly reduced and productivity is lowered

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaircraft safetyVSAvoidaircraft operation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection process is divided into two segments: a preliminary limited inspection that can be performed quickly at the airport, and a subsequent extended conditional inspection that is performed later at a specialized facility. This segmentation allows the aircraft to be quickly assessed and potentially returned to service without requiring the full extended inspection immediately, thereby maintaining productivity while ensuring safety through the structured two-stage approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A preliminary limited inspection is performed before the extended conditional inspection to quickly assess the aircraft's condition after a lightning strike. This preliminary action identifies obvious damage and determines whether the aircraft can operate safely for a limited number of flights, allowing the aircraft to remain in service temporarily and avoid unnecessary grounding, thus improving productivity while maintaining safety through the follow-up extended inspection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If an extended conditional inspection is performed after a lightning strike, then the reliability of the aircraft is ensured, but the inspection cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaircraft safetyVSAvoidinspection process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The inspection process is divided into two segments: a preliminary limited inspection that can be performed quickly at the airport, and a subsequent extended conditional inspection that is performed later at a specialized facility. This segmentation allows the aircraft to be quickly assessed and potentially returned to service without requiring the full extended inspection immediately, thereby maintaining productivity while ensuring safety through the structured two-stage approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If the aircraft is grounded for extended inspection after a lightning strike, then thorough damage assessment is achieved, but operational delays and service interruptions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamage assessment accuracyVSAvoidoperational delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A preliminary limited inspection is performed before the extended conditional inspection to quickly assess the aircraft's condition after a lightning strike. This preliminary action identifies obvious damage and determines whether the aircraft can operate safely for a limited number of flights, allowing the aircraft to remain in service temporarily and avoid unnecessary grounding, thus improving productivity while maintaining safety through the follow-up extended inspection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The inspection approach is made dynamic by adjusting the inspection scope based on the findings of the preliminary limited inspection. If no obvious damage is found, the aircraft can operate with reduced inspection requirements for a limited number of flights. If damage is detected, the full extended conditional inspection is triggered. This dynamic approach optimizes the balance between thorough damage assessment and minimizing operational delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11305893B2Enablement of aircraft operation with limited inspection after a lightning strike and before performance of an extended conditional inspection for lightning strike damage of the aircraft

Publication Date: 2022.04.19 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A method of evaluating continued usage of a particular type of aircraft after a lightning strike includes performing structure assessments of one or more structures of the type of aircraft based on one or more representative values for lightning strike damage for the type of aircraft. The method also includes determining a number indicating how many flights an aircraft of the type of aircraft can fly after a lightning strike and before performing an extended conditional inspection for lightning strike damage.