EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Procedure; Weather
The First Officer (FO) went outside to complete the preflight walk-around. Upon returning; he advised the aircraft was ready for flight. The FO was qualified; I had no reason to believe the preflight walk around wouldn't have been completed properly. The flight departed and was completed without incident. Upon arrival; the FO completed the post flight inspection. Maintenance met the aircraft. When the FO returned to the flight deck; he advised me that the Maintenance personnel found damage to the aircraft from a lightning strike. At this time; I proceeded to the ramp to meet with Maintenance. Maintenance showed me the strike damage on the nose of the aircraft. After I saw that; I completed a total walk around of the aircraft. On the left side of the fuselage; more lightning strike damage was found. In total; 18 strike marks on the aircraft skin were found. I immediately called Maintenance Control and advised of the situation. A write-up in the logbook was made at this time. The return flight was canceled. I looked through the current Aircraft Maintenance Logbook (AML) and old AML to view aircraft history. In the old AML; I found a write-up for a lightning strike to the aircraft left nose. The write-up was cleared and noted no defects or damage found in accordance with the Aircraft Maintenance Manual. [Our flight] did not encounter any convective activity during flight or a lightning strike. Either the [earlier] lightning strike inspection was not conducted properly or there was an unreported lightning strike on this aircraft between return of service and today. If the [earlier] inspection was done properly; then the pre and post-flight inspections of this aircraft have not been done properly. As the Captain; I delegate the duty of the pre/post flight walk around to the qualified First Officer. I should always be able to trust they are inspecting the aircraft in accordance with [Company] policies and procedures. In this instance; maybe the FO didn't know what lightning strike damage looks like.
A more thorough post lightning strike inspection would have resulted in finding the damage before putting the airplane back in service. Also; a more thorough walk-around could have resulted in finding the damage earlier.
EMB-175 flight crew reported that maintenance personnel noted lightning strike damage after a flight in which no lightning had been encountered.