Currently these pictures of a damaged CRJ-200 are making the rounds on the Internet. Unlike said in many forums and blogs, this damage was NOT caused by a lightning strike! Instead it was simply caused by a cockpit fire, probably due to an overheated electrical power relay.
Preliminary NTSB report:
ASA Airlines flight 5533, a Bombardier CRJ-200 – registration: N830AS, experienced a cockpit fire on the ground shortly after external power was applied to the airplane in preparation for flight. The captain and one flight attendant evacuated the airplane via an airstair without injuries. They were the only individuals on the airplane at the time. The fire department extinguished the fire after it had burned an approximate 18 inch hole through the left upper cockpit crown skin. The flight was to be flown from Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), Tallahassee, Florida, to Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia.
Photos: Unknown
http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/369513-cockpit-fire-ground-no-swooping-terrified-pax.html
http://avherald.com/h?article=415ca1d5&opt=4096
“I contacted a friend who’s an aircraft structural engineer and DER, and he supplied me with the real story: The AC contactor box caught fire when they hooked up ground power. ”
“Awfully good chance the ground power supply was defective”
Any modern aircraft should reject defective ground power. So I’m not buying that theory. This is either a maintenance defect or a manufacturing defect. Most likely a maintenance defect. Who works on ASA aircraft? Is it ASA mechanics or low paid contractors?
Heck… That will buff right out..