Narrative:

At described location on V1 5 NM northeast of cyn VOR. Radar was on and working normally. Radar was painting green interspersed with yellow. No indication such as concentric circles of color on the radar indicating convective activity although we had deviated around some thunderstorms around jfk after departing isp for dca. Should mention our radar system is a four-color system: green, yellow, red, and magenta. To avoid the aforementioned area, we had requested and had been cleared to fly a heading of 240. We started losing squelch on our 1 VHF communication, so communication was becoming difficult. About 60 seconds later, the aircraft received a lightning strike on the left wingtip. The aircraft immediately lost electrical power to the auxiliary inv, left AC bus, left tru, 1 and 2 dc generators, left stall warning, 1 ahrs, captain's flight instruments, radar, left auxiliary fuel pump, left standby hydraulic pump. Also, cabin pressurization went to 6.0 psi. Aircraft now on essential power (battery) good for 20-30 mins. Flight attendant reported dissipating smoke coming from under cabin floor at row 3 or 4 and also a lightning ball inside the cabin. Requested immediate descent. Washington center stepped us down in 2000 ft increments to 8000 ft where we entered VMC conditions. We restored all electrical power except lac bus, ltru 1 dc gen, left auxiliary pump, and left standby hydraulic pump. Had planned on going to phl but after power restoration was successful, we were cleared eno, ott, dca. Approach and landing normal. Our maintenance found entrance hole on left wingtip with rivet damage and missing static wick. Upon further examination, approximately 30 exit holes were found on belly skins from just aft of nose landing gear to about row 4 or 5. As many of us have done, we flew through an area of WX that was similar to many other areas we flew through this day and countless others. Obviously, I should reconsider the types of meteorological conditions in which I operate my aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MDT PAX ACFT HAD SEVERE LIGHTNING STRIKE, LOST ELECTRICAL EQUIP. OBTAINED CLRNC TO DSND TO VFR CONDITIONS. MANAGED TO RESTORE MOST OF ELECTRICAL AND PROCEEDED TO DEST, DCA.

Narrative: AT DESCRIBED LOCATION ON V1 5 NM NE OF CYN VOR. RADAR WAS ON AND WORKING NORMALLY. RADAR WAS PAINTING GREEN INTERSPERSED WITH YELLOW. NO INDICATION SUCH AS CONCENTRIC CIRCLES OF COLOR ON THE RADAR INDICATING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ALTHOUGH WE HAD DEVIATED AROUND SOME TSTMS AROUND JFK AFTER DEPARTING ISP FOR DCA. SHOULD MENTION OUR RADAR SYS IS A FOUR-COLOR SYS: GREEN, YELLOW, RED, AND MAGENTA. TO AVOID THE AFOREMENTIONED AREA, WE HAD REQUESTED AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO FLY A HDG OF 240. WE STARTED LOSING SQUELCH ON OUR 1 VHF COM, SO COM WAS BECOMING DIFFICULT. ABOUT 60 SECONDS LATER, THE ACFT RECEIVED A LIGHTNING STRIKE ON THE L WINGTIP. THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY LOST ELECTRICAL PWR TO THE AUX INV, L AC BUS, L TRU, 1 AND 2 DC GENERATORS, L STALL WARNING, 1 AHRS, CAPT'S FLT INSTRUMENTS, RADAR, L AUX FUEL PUMP, L STANDBY HYD PUMP. ALSO, CABIN PRESSURIZATION WENT TO 6.0 PSI. ACFT NOW ON ESSENTIAL PWR (BATTERY) GOOD FOR 20-30 MINS. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED DISSIPATING SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER CABIN FLOOR AT ROW 3 OR 4 AND ALSO A LIGHTNING BALL INSIDE THE CABIN. REQUESTED IMMEDIATE DSCNT. WASHINGTON CENTER STEPPED US DOWN IN 2000 FT INCREMENTS TO 8000 FT WHERE WE ENTERED VMC CONDITIONS. WE RESTORED ALL ELECTRICAL PWR EXCEPT LAC BUS, LTRU 1 DC GEN, L AUX PUMP, AND L STANDBY HYD PUMP. HAD PLANNED ON GOING TO PHL BUT AFTER PWR RESTORATION WAS SUCCESSFUL, WE WERE CLRED ENO, OTT, DCA. APCH AND LNDG NORMAL. OUR MAINT FOUND ENTRANCE HOLE ON L WINGTIP WITH RIVET DAMAGE AND MISSING STATIC WICK. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, APPROX 30 EXIT HOLES WERE FOUND ON BELLY SKINS FROM JUST AFT OF NOSE LNDG GEAR TO ABOUT ROW 4 OR 5. AS MANY OF US HAVE DONE, WE FLEW THROUGH AN AREA OF WX THAT WAS SIMILAR TO MANY OTHER AREAS WE FLEW THROUGH THIS DAY AND COUNTLESS OTHERS. OBVIOUSLY, I SHOULD RECONSIDER THE TYPES OF METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN WHICH I OPERATE MY ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.