An large transport air carrier crew was struck by lightning while trying to negotiate safe passage a...

Attributes
ACN	218198
Time
Date	199208
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors enroute airway : bos
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7200 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	218198
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	218255
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We departed runway 22 at bos -- were initially assigned a southeasterly heading -- our WX radar was painting contouring cells from our 10 O'clock position to our 3 O'clock position. We were assigned an easterly heading by ATC. Requested a further turn to the north for WX avoidance. Request seemed to be ignored by ATC repeatedly as he insisted on a southeasterly heading. After our repeated objections to his southeasterly heading, he informed us his radar was not painting any significant WX in our vicinity. As he (controller) was transmitting, we were struck by lightning. We were already in moderate to heavy rain as we skirted the northern edge of the WX depicted on our radar. Understand we were conflicting with inbound traffic but obviously our situation dictated a routing other than the normal departure routing. Traffic departing bos behind us were following similar route for WX avoidance. Supplemental information from acn 218255: 'our radar shows you 3 mi from any level 3 storms and 4 mi from any level 4 storms.' we were in heavy rain at the time and just as he finished giving us 'his WX report,' we took a lightning strike. I gave him my opinion of what he could do with his radar. ATC must realize our radar is designed for 'WX' information only and is, therefore, much more accurate than his. Our reluctance to accept his vectors was based on safety and comfort to our passenger -- not to cause him problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT ACR CREW WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE TRYING TO NEGOTIATE SAFE PASSAGE AROUND WX.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED RWY 22 AT BOS -- WERE INITIALLY ASSIGNED A SOUTHEASTERLY HDG -- OUR WX RADAR WAS PAINTING CONTOURING CELLS FROM OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS TO OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS. WE WERE ASSIGNED AN EASTERLY HDG BY ATC. REQUESTED A FURTHER TURN TO THE N FOR WX AVOIDANCE. REQUEST SEEMED TO BE IGNORED BY ATC REPEATEDLY AS HE INSISTED ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HDG. AFTER OUR REPEATED OBJECTIONS TO HIS SOUTHEASTERLY HDG, HE INFORMED US HIS RADAR WAS NOT PAINTING ANY SIGNIFICANT WX IN OUR VICINITY. AS HE (CTLR) WAS XMITTING, WE WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. WE WERE ALREADY IN MODERATE TO HVY RAIN AS WE SKIRTED THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE WX DEPICTED ON OUR RADAR. UNDERSTAND WE WERE CONFLICTING WITH INBOUND TFC BUT OBVIOUSLY OUR SITUATION DICTATED A RTING OTHER THAN THE NORMAL DEP RTING. TFC DEPARTING BOS BEHIND US WERE FOLLOWING SIMILAR RTE FOR WX AVOIDANCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 218255: 'OUR RADAR SHOWS YOU 3 MI FROM ANY LEVEL 3 STORMS AND 4 MI FROM ANY LEVEL 4 STORMS.' WE WERE IN HVY RAIN AT THE TIME AND JUST AS HE FINISHED GIVING US 'HIS WX RPT,' WE TOOK A LIGHTNING STRIKE. I GAVE HIM MY OPINION OF WHAT HE COULD DO WITH HIS RADAR. ATC MUST REALIZE OUR RADAR IS DESIGNED FOR 'WX' INFO ONLY AND IS, THEREFORE, MUCH MORE ACCURATE THAN HIS. OUR RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT HIS VECTORS WAS BASED ON SAFETY AND COMFORT TO OUR PAX -- NOT TO CAUSE HIM PROBLEMS.

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.

An large transport air carrier crew was struck by lightning while trying to negotiate safe passage around WX.