A320
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
I arrived at my aircraft that was deplaning. I stepped into the aircraft to put my bag in the cockpit. Walked out and the Lead Flight Attendant said do you know the aircraft was hit by lightning twice going into the previous station? I turned and asked the first officer that was still there and he confirmed that it had been hit twice. The captain of the flight had already left and maintenance was doing a full inspection of the aircraft. I asked the first officer if they had it inspected after the strike and he said no. He then told me that the other captain did talk to maintenance. The other captain came back to the aircraft only to get his water bottle that he had left behind. He heard us talking about the lightning strike and said he didn't want to delay the flight five hours by getting inspection in an out station. He then left without offering to write the aircraft up or make sure the aircraft was ok for service. I told the first officer that I would not accept the aircraft unless it was written up and signed off by maintenance. He agreed to do so and tried calling the other captain but got voicemail. As he was writing the aircraft up for possible lightning strike the other captain appeared in the cockpit. The other captain questioned why the aircraft needed to be written up and I told him the aircraft should have been written up at the station after it was hit. His next comment was what if I had never told you? I looked at him and said that you didn't tell me the Lead Flight Attendant told me. He started to argue with me and I told him to leave my aircraft and that I was calling the assistant chief pilot. I called him and told him what was going on and he completely agreed with me. What is really bothersome is that this other captain complete disregard for safety and fellow crew members. There were signs of a possible lightning strike on the radome on captain side of the nose and a very large round area that was just above that. Maintenance told me that was just paint peeling away but I really don't believe them. I do believe that the other captain called maintenance in the previous station and they told him to bring the aircraft back. Proper procedures are to call your dispatcher and then they connect you with maintenance control. The other crew did say they did a walk around of the aircraft there which is not for crew members to decide if the aircraft is safe for flight. There are station notes in that captain delayed boarding for possible lightning strike.
An A320 was hit by lightning prior to landing at the previous station but the Captain failed to have an inspection. On arrival at the next airport; the Lead Flight Attendant informed the oncoming Captain about the strike and no inspection. The previous Captain returned and had words.